Aug 24, 2023 Study Session

[00:00:05]

GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE AUGUST

[I. CALL TO ORDER]

I AM REGINA HARRIS, PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD TRUSTEES RENTERÍA, TIMME, AND EAGER WILL NOT BE WITH US TONIGHT.

HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.

THE MEETING IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER AT 6:02 P.M..

IT IS TIME FOR OUR PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION.

MR. POTEET, DO WE HAVE ANY PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD THIS EVENING? MISS HARRIS WE DO NOT HAVE ANY THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TODAY.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.

THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS AN INFORMATION ITEM TO PRESENT THE SUMMER CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.

[III.A. Update on Summer Construction Projects]

PRESIDENT HARRIS. THANK YOU.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

WE DO WANT TO WISH MR. EAGER AND MS. MCGOWAN A HAPPY BIRTHDAY SINCE THEY RECENTLY CELEBRATED THEIR BIG DAY.

TONIGHT, WE ARE SO PROUD TO BRING FORWARD TO YOU THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE MADE IN OUR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS RELATED TO BOND 2021.

I WILL JUST MS. HAYES WILL BE LEADING TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION, BUT I WILL JUST SAY WHAT WE ASK OUR FACILITIES TEAM TO DO IS AS AGGRESSIVE AS IT GETS.

WE VERY MUCH BELIEVE THAT IF WE HAVE ASKED OUR COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT A BOND, THAT WE NEED TO DELIVER ON THAT BOND AND WE NEED THEM TO SEE KIND OF THE FRUITS OF THEIR INVESTMENTS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

AND SO THEY HAVE BEEN LEADING THROUGH SOME VERY COMPLEX PROJECTS, BOTH IN TERMS OF NEW CONSTRUCTION AS WELL AS PHASING IN CONSTRUCTION AND THE LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION, THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT, SO THAT ON AUGUST 14TH, OUR STUDENTS WERE READY TO LEARN IS JUST, I WOULD SAY, SECOND TO NONE.

SO I JUST PUBLICLY WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP.

I WANT TO THANK OUR PRINCIPALS WHO HAVE TO LEAD THROUGH THAT CONSTRUCTION AND ALSO PREPARE THEIR LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND PREPARE THEIR STAFF FOR IT AS WELL.

SO JUST ALL AROUND JUST A PHENOMENAL JOB.

SO MS. HAYES I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.

THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM.

GOOD EVENING. BOARD OF TRUSTEES TONIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING YOU AN UPDATE OF THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING, BOTH WITH BOND FUNDING AND SOME LOCAL FUNDING AS WELL. THESE ARE ALL WHAT WE CONSIDER MAJOR PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING.

AND THEN AT THE END, WE'LL JUST GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR BOND FUNDS.

SO I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU MR. JAMES WATSON, WHO IS OUR SENIOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OVER FACILITY SERVICES, AND THEN MS. LE KORTE WHO IS OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR PLANNING, CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT.

AND I ALWAYS SAY THAT BACKWARDS.

SO PLANNING DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OR CONSTRUCTION PLANNING DEVELOP WHATEVER WE WANT TO CALL HER.

SHE'S OUR RESIDENT ARCHITECT AND ALL AROUND EXPERT.

SO SHE'S GOING TO BE DRIVING THIS PRESENTATION FOR YOU TONIGHT.

WHAT WE DID, WE WENT OUT AND TOOK RECENT PHOTOS OF WHAT OUR PROJECTS WERE LOOKING LIKE.

WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS AND IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE BEST IF IT'S OKAY WITH THE BOARD AND MRS. BRANUM TO TAKE THEM AS WE GO THROUGH EACH PROJECT SO THAT WE DON'T GET CONFUSED ABOUT WHICH ONES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO LE TO DRIVE THIS WITH OUR FIRST SET OF PICTURES IN PROJECT.

GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.

SO I'M A VERY VISUAL LEARNER AND SO DESIGN, A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS HAPPENED OVER A YEAR AGO.

SO HOW I WANTED TO PUT THE PRESENTATION IS SHOWING WHAT THE RENDERING LOOKED LIKE DURING DESIGN AND THEN WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY IN THE FIELD.

SO THIS IS AN EXISTING AN AERIAL VIEW OF A RENDERING OF THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF LAKE HIGHLANDS MIDDLE SCHOOL.

THIS WAS A REPLACEMENT SCHOOL.

THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY ON SITE.

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE EXISTING BUILDING IS INTACT AND THE NEW CONSTRUCTION IS RIGHT NEXT TO IT.

SO RIGHT NOW, THE STRUCTURAL STEEL COMPONENTS ARE PREVALENT.

THEY'RE DRYING IN RIGHT NOW.

ROOF DECKING IS GOING ON.

THIS IS AN EXTERIOR PERSPECTIVE OF THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE BUILDING.

AND THIS IS THE PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY.

YOU CAN SEE THE STORM SHELTER IS ON THE RIGHT.

THE MAIN STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS ARE ERECTED AND THEY'RE STARTING TO PUT IN A LOT OF THE CURTAIN WALL AND THE EXTERIOR ENVELOPE.

AGAIN, HERE IS A VIEW OF THE RENDERINGS THAT WERE DEVELOPED OVER A YEAR AGO, AND THIS IS OF THE SOUTHWEST ELEVATION OF THE LIBRARY.

THAT LARGE GLASS AREA IS OUR LIBRARY.

AND WHAT SHE WAS POINTING OUT AS OUR STORM SHELTER IS THE NEW GYM.

YES, THE NEW GYM IS OVER TO THE NORTH SIDE, CORRECT? YEAH. THE AREA THAT'S WITH THE BRICK, THAT'S A BLENDED COLOR.

THAT'S GOING TO BE THE GYMNASIUM AREA AND THE STORM SHELTER.

AND THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY.

GOING INSIDE THE BUILDING.

THIS IS GOING TO BE AN INTERIOR RENDERING OF THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE LIBRARY.

[00:05:03]

AGAIN, METAL DECKING IS GOING ON, STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS ARE DONE AND THEY'RE STARTING TO TO FILL IN THE SPACE SO YOU CAN GET A FEEL OF IT.

IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN BY THERE RECENTLY.

A FEW WEEKS AGO, THE LARGE CRANE THAT SAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT PROJECT HAS BEEN TAKEN DOWN.

SO THAT'S WHEN YOU KNOW THAT ALL OF THE MAIN COMPONENTS ARE IN AND NOW IT'S BUILDING THE WALLS AND FINISHING IT OUT INSIDE WHEN THEY CAN TAKE THOSE CRANES DOWN.

NOW, THIS IS AN INTERIOR RENDERING OF STANDING ON THE SECOND FLOOR LOOKING BACK INTO THE COMMONS AREA.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE ROUND AREA IN WOOD IS THE STEM.

SO THIS IS THE SHOWCASE PIECE OF THIS SCHOOL.

THIS IS WHERE THE CAFETERIA IS, THE SERVING LINE'S CAFETERIA ON THE BACK AS WELL.

OR THE DINING AREA.

YES. JUST FOR REFERENCE, THAT'S LOOKING BACK ON THAT RENDERING, BACK ONE THAT'S LOOKING TOWARDS WALNUT HILL.

THAT IS CORRECT. THAT'S LOOKING FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH.

YEAH. AND YOU'RE STANDING ON A SECOND STORY WALKWAY.

SO THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY.

AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE STEEL WHERE THE STEM IS.

YOU CAN SEE WHERE WALNUT HILL IS.

THEY HAVEN'T PUT IN THE CURTAIN WALL YET.

THIS IS A RENDERING OF THE SECOND FLOOR LOOKING INTO THE COMMONS AGAIN, THIS IS LOOKING AT THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

SO THE STEM IS OVER ON THE LEFT SIDE.

NOW YOU'RE LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT VIEW OF THE STAIR.

YOU'RE LOOKING WEST HERE, WHICH IS WHERE MOST OF THE STUDENTS WILL ENTER FROM DROP OFF ONCE THE EXISTING BUILDING IS TORN DOWN THIS SUMMER.

THAT'S WHERE THEY'LL BUILD THE ADDITIONAL PARKING DRIVE AND WHERE THE STUDENTS CAN ENTER, AS WELL AS THE FRONT DOORS.

THEN HERE WE ARE IN CONSTRUCTION TODAY.

YES, THAT'S CORRECT. YOU SEE THE EXISTING BUILDING IN THE BACKGROUND THERE.

THIS IS A RENDERING OF WHAT THE RECEPTION AREA IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE AND TODAY ON SITE, YOU CAN SEE IT'S REALLY STARTING TO FORM UP RIGHT NOW.

THEY'RE STARTING TO INSTALL A LOT OF THE CURTAIN WALL.

AND THEN THIS IS A SNAPSHOT OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY IN TERMS OF SCHEDULE.

SO THE CONSTRUCTION STARTED IN THE SUMMER OF 2022.

TODAY, AUGUST OF 2023, THERE ARE ABOUT 46% COMPLETE WITH ABOUT 54% CONSTRUCTION REMAINING.

LOOKING FORWARD INTO 2024, THE NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL IS SLATED TO BE COMPLETE JUNE SUMMER OF 2024 WITH SITE WORK ONGOING AUGUST OF 2024 IS WHEN THE SIXTH GRADERS COME INTO THE NEW BUILDING, AND THEN DEMOLITION AND PROJECT CLOSEOUT WILL BE COMPLETE IN DECEMBER.

SO DEMOLITION OF THE EXISTING SCHOOL HAPPENS NEXT SUMMER, RIGHT IN THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER BECAUSE AT SOME POINT.

ONCE THE SITE ONCE THE EXISTING SCHOOL GETS DEMOLISHED, THEN ALL THE SITE WORK CAN BEGIN.

ALL OF OUR PAVING AND PEDESTRIAN WALKWAYS FOR THE STUDENTS CAN GET CONSTRUCTED.

QUESTIONS JUST FOR REFERENCE.

SO EVERYONE'S TIRED OF THE DRY SUMMER THIS SUMMER WITH THE HEAT, BUT NEXT SUMMER IT NEEDS TO BE DRY SO WE CAN GET ALL THIS DONE.

PUT THAT OUT THERE IN ADVANCE.

NOT 100, NOT 108, BUT WE'RE OKAY WITH SOME FEW WEEKS OF NO RAIN.

NEXT PROJECT IS FOREST MEADOW MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND THIS IS AN EXTERIOR RENDERING OF THE SOUTHWEST CORNER AT WHITEHURST AND ABRAMS. AND AGAIN, THIS IS JUST TO GIVE YOU A REFERENCE OF WHAT THE PROJECT LOOKED LIKE IN DESIGN OVER A YEAR AGO.

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY, THEY HAVE STARTED DOING BRICKING SCAFFOLDING.

THIS IS GOING TO BE THE SIXTH GRADE ADDITION THERE IT'S DRIED OUT RIGHT NOW.

THEY'RE STARTING TO DO INTERIOR FRAMING.

THIS IS AN EXTERIOR RENDERING OF THE FINE ARTS AND ATHLETICS EDITION.

SO THIS IS ALSO GOING TO BE THE STORM SHELTER COMPONENT FOR THIS SCHOOL.

YOU CAN SEE FROM THE EXTERIOR, IT'S PRETTY DEVELOPED ON THE OUTSIDE.

IT'S NEEDING SOME MORE SIGNAGE, THE CANOPY COMPONENT.

BUT THE STORM SHELTER ITSELF, ALL THE STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS ARE IN AND THEY'RE STARTING TO FRAME THE INTERIOR.

MOVING TO THE INSIDE OF THE BUILDING.

THIS IS AN INTERIOR RENDERING STANDING AT THE SOUTH SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE CAFETERIA.

AND THEN THE CAFETERIA WAS EXISTING.

BUT WE EXPANDED ON THE CAFETERIA, ADDED WINDOWS, BECAUSE PREVIOUSLY THE CAFETERIA WAS PRETTY DARK.

THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF NATURAL LIGHT.

SO WE WANTED TO OPEN UP THAT SPACE AND GET THE WINDOWS.

SO THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.

SO THIS IS ONE OF THE BIG PUSHES THAT THEY, THE CONSTRUCTION TEAM HAD.

THE SUMMER WAS TO COMPLETE THE CAFETERIA AND GET IT READY FOR ALL THE STUDENTS TO COME BACK WHEN SCHOOL STARTED.

IS THAT NOT BEAUTIFUL? YOU'RE STANDING IN THAT CAFETERIA.

IT IS GAME CHANGING FOR THAT CAMPUS ALREADY.

IT IS AMAZING.

THE LIGHT. YEAH.

IT'S ALMOST COMPLETE.

THE ONLY REMAINING ITEM LEFT IS THE GRAPHICS, AND THE GRAPHICS WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE AS WELL.

[00:10:03]

SO THE DESIGN INTENT WAS THIS.

THIS WAS A GREAT MARKET WAY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL.

IN THE ENTRY, YOU CAN SEE ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO THE CAFETERIA, WHICH PREVIOUSLY IT NEVER HAD THAT.

SO THIS IS THE RENDERING THAT WAS DONE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.

THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN CONSTRUCTION NOW.

IT'S STILL HEAVILY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

THIS PORTION OF THE BUILDING IS NOT ANTICIPATED TO OPEN UNTIL DECEMBER, BUT I'LL GET INTO THE SCHEDULE LATER IN THE PRESENTATION.

RIGHT NOW, THERE'S TEMPORARY WALLS CONSTRUCTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S SEPARATED FROM THE STUDENTS AND THE WORKERS.

AND THEY'VE PUT A LOT OF THE STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS ARE ALL IN AND NOW IT'S JUST FINISHING OUT THE INTERIOR.

THIS IS AN INTERIOR RENDERING STANDING AT THE TOP OF THE LEARNING STAIR.

SO WITH FOREST MEADOW, THERE'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT GRADE CHANGE.

SO THIS IS AT LEVEL ONE AND THEN THE SLIGHT SLOPES PRETTY DRASTICALLY TO WHERE YOU ACTUALLY GO TO LEVEL ZERO ZERO IS WHAT WE CALLED IT.

SO THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY.

THE LEARNING STAIR STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS ARE POURED.

THEY'RE FRAMING UP THE WALLS.

SO YOU CAN REALLY START TO SEE THE RENDERING COMING TO FRUITION WITH THE ACTUAL BUILDING.

THIS IS AN INTERIOR RENDERING OF THE CLASSROOM ADDITION IN THE CORNER COLLABORATION SPACE.

SO ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THAT'S WHERE ALL THE WINDOWS WERE OF THAT CLASSROOM ADDITION.

AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY.

AND FOR THE CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE.

CONSTRUCTION ALSO STARTED IN THE SUMMER OF 2022.

IT'S ABOUT 75% COMPLETE.

THERE WAS A BIG PUSH THIS SUMMER TO COMPLETE THE SCIENCE LAB RENOVATIONS, EXISTING CLASSROOM RENOVATIONS, FINE ARTS GOT RENOVATED AND A NEW BRAND NEW CAFETERIA AND A BRAND NEW DINING SPACE.

SO THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK THAT HAPPENED THIS SUMMER.

THERE'S ABOUT 25% CONSTRUCTION REMAINING, AND IT'S ANTICIPATING TO HAVE THE NEW CLASSROOM ADDITION COMPLETE AND OPENED IN DECEMBER OF 2023 WITH ONGOING SITE WORK. AND THERE'S ALSO A NEW ELEVATOR THAT'S COMING INTO THE PROJECT.

AND THAT WILL HAPPEN BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH OF 2024.

AND THEN OF COURSE, IN AUGUST OF 2024 IS WHEN THE SIXTH GRADERS COME.

ANY QUESTIONS ON OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS AT THIS POINT? OKAY. YOUR NEXT PROJECT IS JJ PEARCE HIGH SCHOOL.

AGAIN, THIS IS AN EXTERIOR RENDERING OFF OF MELROSE DRIVE.

THIS IS THE NORTH ELEVATION OF THE SCHOOL.

THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY.

AN EXTERIOR RENDERING OF THE NEW ENTRANCE AND PEDESTRIAN PLAZA AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY.

AND THIS COMPONENT OPENED IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.

THIS WAS A BIG PUSH THIS SUMMER AS WELL TO GET THE HUB OPEN.

AND I'LL SHOW YOU SOME RENDERINGS OF THAT AS WELL.

HERE IS INTERIOR RENDERING OF WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE HUB.

AND THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY.

SO THE HUB GOT COMPLETED THIS SUMMER.

THE GRAPHICS GOT INSTALLED, FURNITURE GOT INSTALLED.

SO THIS IS A GREAT SPACE FOR THE KIDS TO USE.

AND THIS USED TO BE THE EXISTING COURTYARD, SO IT ALL GOT INFILLED.

HAVE A QUESTION? YEAH.

SO I JUST. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THIS.

IT IS SUCH A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE.

AND SO MY CURIOSITY IS, HOW DID THE STUDENTS ACCEPT THIS? I MEAN, WHAT TYPE OF FEEDBACK DID YOU GET FROM THE CURRENT STUDENTS AND THEN FROM THE NEW STUDENTS? WELL I HAVE A SENIOR WHO HAS EXPERIENCED THE CONSTRUCTION FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END, AND SHE HAD SHE'S ALSO AN SOS LIFEGUARD.

SO SHE ACTUALLY GOT TO GO IN AND TOUR IT BEFORE RIGHT BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED BECAUSE THEY HELP FRESHMEN MAKE THEIR WAY THROUGH THE BUILDING.

AND I WILL TELL YOU, JUST HEARING THE GASP FROM THOSE LIFEGUARDS AS THEY WALKED INTO THAT SPACE AND WERE LIKE ALL THIS WAS ALL WORTH IT BECAUSE THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF THEIR HIGH SCHOOL, WHETHER IT WAS COVID PANDEMIC RELATED OR NOW CONSTRUCTION, THEY'VE HAD MOST OF THEIR HIGH SCHOOL CAREER DISRUPTED.

AND SEEING THIS SPACE, IT FELT LIKE IT WAS ALL WORTH IT.

I THINK THEY ARE NOW TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, HER AND HER FRIEND GROUP, THEY ALWAYS ATE OUTSIDE FOR THREE YEARS.

AND SO FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE OUTSIDE IS NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

AND SO IT'S I THINK IT'S MORE OF THEM NOW NAVIGATING WHAT IS THEIR NEW NORMAL AND FIGURING OUT THEIR NEW NORMAL.

BUT IT IS AN INCREDIBLE SPACE TO FIGURE OUT THE NEW NORMAL.

NOW THEY WALK AROUND AND THEY IT'S LIKE THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOREVER.

THEY KNOW HOW TO GET AROUND. THEY KNOW WHAT THE NEW KIND OF WALKWAYS ARE.

[00:15:02]

AND AGAIN, THE STAFF, I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW RESILIENT THAT STAFF IS, BOTH AT FOREST MEADOW AND AT PEARCE, TO NOT GET INTO THEIR CLASSROOMS AT PEARCE. THEY DIDN'T GET INTO THAT THURSDAY AT FOREST MEADOWS.

SOME OF THEM DIDN'T GET INTO THAT SATURDAY, AND SCHOOL WAS ON MONDAY.

AND WHEN YOU WALKED AROUND THAT BUILDING AND WALKED AROUND THOSE CLASSROOMS, YOU NEVER WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT.

AND I THINK OUR STUDENTS DEFINITELY APPRECIATED IT.

I KNOW OTHER MEMBERS OF CABINET, MISS HAYES, YOU ALL GOT TO HEAR AND SEE AND OBSERVE STUDENT REACTION AS WELL.

AND YOU ALL MAY WANT TO ADD ON TO THAT.

I THINK YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE SAYS IT ALL.

YEAH, THEY'RE IN AWE.

THEY THINK IT'S THE COOLEST THING.

WELL, I WILL TELL YOU, I WAS AMAZED BECAUSE IT WAS TOTALLY DIFFERENT.

I MEAN, I KNOW I WALKED IN AND WAS LIKE, WOW, IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

THIS WAS ANOTHER PIECE FROM WHEN WE MET WITH THE STAFF.

AND OF COURSE, OUR MEETING HAD STUDENTS ON IT AND STAFF ON IT AND SOME COMMUNITY.

AND THIS WAS ANOTHER PIECE FROM THAT WE HEARD J.J.

PEARCE IS THEY HAD VERY THEY HAD THREE SEPARATE AREAS WHERE KIDS ATE.

AND THE THOUGHT OF HAVING A SPACE WHERE ALL OF THEM COULD COME TOGETHER WAS WHAT THEY WERE ASKING FOR.

AND SO THAT'S HOW THIS DESIGN CAME ABOUT.

AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE TO THIS DESIGN FROM THE PPC WAS HOW DO YOU GET PLACES? SO PEARCE HAD HAD MULTIPLE RENOVATIONS OVER THE YEARS AND IT WAS LIKE A PUZZLE THAT NEVER REALLY CAME TOGETHER.

AND SO THIS DESIGN OPENS UP THAT MAIN HALLWAY AND ALLOWS ACADEMICS TO BE ON ONE SIDE OF THE BUILDING AND EXTRACURRICULAR TO BE ON THE OTHER SIDE AND ALLOWS A STRAIGHT PATHWAY FOR ADMINISTRATORS TO SEE FROM THE SOUTH END OF THE ENTRANCE TO THE NORTH END OF THE ENTRANCE, WHICH IS A HUGE WAYFINDING PIECE FOR THEM.

THANK YOU. NEXT IMAGE IS AN INTERIOR RENDER OF THE ANIMATION AND THE HUB IN THE BACKGROUND.

YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF SOFT SEATING, A LOT OF COLLABORATION SPACE THAT WAS PUT IN.

AND THEN THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY BEFORE ALL THE STUDENTS CAME IN.

FURNITURE IS GETTING INSTALLED, FLOORING WAS GETTING CLEANED.

THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK THAT WENT ON THAT WEEKEND JUST TO GET GET THE SPACE READY FOR THE KIDS ON MONDAY.

AND THEN THIS IS THE SCHEDULE OF J.J.

PEARCE. IT WAS A MULTI-PHASE, VERY COMPLICATED PROJECT.

IT'S ABOUT 65% COMPLETE.

CONSTRUCTION STARTED IN 2021.

IT HAD PHASE ZERO, WHICH IS COMPLETE, WHICH IS THE BASEBALL FIELD AND SOME SITE WORK.

PHASE ONE WAS COMPLETE, WHICH IS THE 14 CLASSROOM ADDITION TODAY PHASE TWO TURNED OVER THE SUMMER, WHICH COMPRISED OF THE HUB, THE MAIN ENTRANCE THE ADMINISTRATION SUITE SITE WORK AND THEN REFRESHING OF A LOT OF THE EXISTING CLASSROOMS. WHAT'S REMAINING IS PHASE TWO B, WHICH IS THE LEGACY GYM, THE STORM SHELTER REWORKING SOME OF THE OLD ADMIN AND THEN SOME MORE CLASSROOM REFRESHING.

AND THEN THE AUDITORIUM.

SO THE AUDITORIUM IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY OF 2024.

AND THEN THE ENTIRE PROJECT IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE IN AUGUST OF 24.

ANY QUESTIONS? A COUPLE OF SNAPSHOTS OF SOME OTHER PROJECTS.

THAT WAS FROM BOND 2021.

BRENTFIELD ELEMENTARY HAD A BIG PUSH THIS SUMMER AS WELL TO COMPLETE AGAIN, THIS WAS A VERY COMPLICATED MULTI-PHASED PROJECT THAT STARTED CONSTRUCTION A COUPLE OF SUMMERS AGO, FINISHING UP THE ENTIRE PROJECT THIS SUMMER.

THIS WAS THE VIEW OF BRENTFIELD DRIVE AT THE NORTH ELEVATION OF THE SCHOOL.

AND THEN JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT, THIS PROJECT, IT WAS TWO SEPARATE BUILDINGS, THE EAST BUILDING AND THE WEST BUILDING, AND THEN THE CONNECTOR WAS THE MIDDLE ADDITION THAT CONNECTED BOTH BUILDINGS TOGETHER TO BE ONE COMPREHENSIVE CAMPUS.

THIS IS A SITE IMAGE OF THE RECEPTION AREA THAT OPENED LAST SUMMER, BUT IT GOT SOME TOUCHING UP THIS SUMMER JUST TO GET IT READY FOR THE SCHOOL.

THIS WAS THE NEW GYMNASIUM THAT WAS ALSO THE STORM SHELTER.

THIS WAS COMPLETED EARLIER IN THE SPRING AND WAS UTILIZED IN THE SPRING AND THEN HAD SOME TOUCH UP WORK DONE THIS SUMMER.

THIS WAS THE INTERIOR SHOT OF A NEW CAFETERIA.

THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO GET ALL THE FURNITURE INSTALLED.

SO THE CAFETERIA WAS OPENED LAST YEAR, BUT WE WAS USING IT.

WE WERE USING IT AS A STAGING AREA FOR ALL THE FURNITURE THIS SUMMER.

THEN A PICTURE OF THE NEW PLAYGROUND THAT OPENED THIS SUMMER AS WELL.

AND THEN A COUPLE OF SHOTS OF THE CORRIDORS THAT FINISHED WITH SOME SHOTS OF THE GRAPHICS THAT WERE INSTALLED IN THE CORRIDOR TO HELP THE STUDENTS WITH WAYFINDING SO THEY CAN KNOW WHICH HALLWAYS ARE WHERE IS THE LIBRARY, WHICH HALL AM I IN? NEXT PROJECT THAT COMPLETED LAST SUMMER, BUT WE WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND SHOWCASE IT AS ONE OF OUR PROJECTS WAS MOHAWK ELEMENTARY.

SO MOHAWK ELEMENTARY HAD A COUPLE OF TOUCH UPS THIS SUMMER TO FINISH, BUT WE WANTED TO SHOWCASE.

[00:20:01]

THIS WAS THE NEW GYMNASIUM, WHICH IS ALSO SERVING AS THEIR STORM SHELTER.

EXISTING RESTROOMS WERE RENOVATED.

TOTALLY GUTTED TO HAVE BRAND NEW FIXTURES, BRAND NEW TILE, FINISHING THE TERRAZZO AND THEN NEW PARTITIONS.

LITTLE EAGLES LEARNING CENTER IS ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WAS REALLY, REALLY GOOD TO SEE THIS SUMMER FINISH UP.

THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY BEFORE ALL THE FURNITURE CAME, BEFORE ALL THE LITTLE BABIES CAME.

BUT LITTLE EAGLES LEARNING CENTER AND THEN LITTLE MUSTANGS LEARNING CENTER COMPLETED THIS SUMMER AS WELL.

WE HAD SEVERAL SCHOOLS GET NEW FLOORING AND THOSE CAMPUSES INCLUDED AIKEN, BOWIE, MARK TWAIN, NORTH LAKE, PRAIRIE CREEK, SPRING RIDGE AND WALLACE.

THEY ALL RECEIVED BRAND NEW FLOORING THIS SUMMER.

BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL HAD A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENING THIS SUMMER.

ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT BERKNER HAD WAS THE COSMETOLOGY LAB.

THEY HAVE A REALLY GREAT PROGRAM.

WE WANTED TO SHOWCASE IT, SO THIS IS A VIEW OF THEIR CORRIDOR.

THEY HAD THIS GRAPHIC DESIGNED AND INSTALLED THIS SUMMER.

AND THIS IS THEIR SALON AREA.

SO THIS WAS COMPLETELY GUTTED AND REDONE TO HAVE COSMETOLOGY COSMETOLOGY SUITES AND A BARBERING COMPONENT AS WELL.

AT RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OMNI HOTELS.

WE DID THE HOSPITALITY SUITE.

THIS WAS A CONSTRUCTION PHOTO FROM JULY, BUT THE SUITE WAS AN EXISTING CLASSROOM THAT WAS TURNED INTO A MOCK LOBBY, AND IT WAS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OMNI.

SO OMNI HOTELS DONATED SOME ITEMS THAT THE STUDENTS IF YOU WANTED TO GET INTO THE HOSPITALITY BUSINESS, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE A LIVE ACTION CLASSROOM WHERE YOU COULD LEARN TO BE A HOTEL LOBBYIST AND LEARN THE HOSPITALITY ENDS.

I JUST WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION REAL QUICK, GOING BACK TO BERKNER, BECAUSE I HEARD TRUSTEE MCGOWAN ASK BECAUSE I ASKED THE SAME QUESTION WHEN WE WERE THERE AS WELL ABOUT THE COSMETOLOGY. SO WHAT DOES THAT GET A STUDENT AFTER THEY HAVE FINISHED THAT CURRICULUM? SURE. AND DR.

LEEPER FEEL FREE TO TO CHIME IN AS WELL.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT FOR BOTH OUR COSMETOLOGY LAB AND OUR BARBERING LAB, FIRST OF ALL, WE THE PROGRAM HAS GROWN SO MUCH THAT WE HAD TO HAVE A ADD A SECOND TEACHER. SO WE HAVE TWO TEACHERS.

THEY ARE TEACHING THIS ALL DAY PLUS ANOTHER HALF DAY.

SO THAT'S THE LEVEL OF STUDENT INTEREST THAT WE HAVE IN THE PROGRAM.

MOST OF OUR STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO LEAVE WITH THEIR FULL CERTIFICATION TO GO AND SERVE IN ANY KIND OF SERVICE INDUSTRY RELATED TO COSMETOLOGY.

DR. LEEPER IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD WANT TO ADD IN THERE? YES. GOOD EVENING, MISS BRANUM.

THANK YOU. BOARD. I WOULD JUST ADD TO THAT, THEY ALSO TYPICALLY WILL GET THEIR NAIL TECH CERTIFICATION, THEIR WAXING SPECIALIST, AND TYPICALLY A LEVEL ONE CERTIFICATION FOR COSMETOLOGY AND BARBERING.

WE'RE LOOKING TO DO OUR FIRST SET OF BARBERING THIS YEAR BECAUSE WHAT THEY DO THEIR JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEAR, THEY HAVE THEIR PRACTICUM WHERE IT'S DOUBLE BLOCKED EVERY OTHER DAY, FIFTH AND SEVENTH PERIOD.

SO WHICH HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE IN THE PAST BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET THAT INTO THEIR SCHEDULE, TO GET THEIR HOURS, TO GET THEIR LEVEL ONE CERT, TO GET TO GO WORK RIGHT AT TONI AND GUY OR WHEREVER THE NEXT DAY.

SO WITH THIS LAB AND THE ADDITION OF THE TWO NEW TEACHERS MRS. BRANUM AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT FOR OUR STUDENTS.

AND MS. CAGE HAS A GOAL THAT IN 24-25, WE'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO OPEN IT UP TO THE COMMUNITY WHERE THE COMMUNITY COULD MAKE APPOINTMENTS AND THAT WOULD BE PART OF THEIR PRACTICUM EXPERIENCE AS WELL.

SO THEY'RE GETTING KIND OF SOME REAL LIFE PRACTICE.

OF COURSE IT WOULD BE SUPERVISED AND THERE WOULD BE A COACH THERE THAT WOULD BE BE WATCHING IT.

BUT IT REALLY IS AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE FOR OUR STUDENTS TO PREPARE THEM FOR THE NEXT STEP.

AND IT IS A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY.

IT REALLY IS.

IT'S TOP NOTCH. AND MISS BRANUM, I'LL ADD, ANYONE CAN GO AT ANY TIME.

IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AS OF TODAY.

OH, BUT THE. WELL, OKAY.

THEY'RE STILL KIND OF DOING IT [LAUGHTER].

ANOTHER EXCITING PROJECT THAT'S HAPPENING AT BERKNER IS THIS IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CREDIT UNION OF TEXAS.

THESE PHOTOS ARE ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT OLD BECAUSE THERE ARE ANTICIPATED TO COMPLETE THIS SUITE NEXT FRIDAY.

SO THESE ARE A LITTLE DATED.

BUT WHAT THIS PROJECT IS AGAIN, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CREDIT UNION OF TEXAS, THIS WILL HAVE A CREDIT UNION BANK COMPONENT AS WELL AS A CLASSROOM COMPONENT ALL IN ONE SUITE.

SO THERE WILL ACTUALLY BE STAFF THAT WORK FOR CREDIT UNION THAT WILL ALSO BE HOUSED IN THIS SCHOOL.

[00:25:01]

AND I JUST WANT TO SHOUT OUT TO THE TEAM ALREADY I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY AT [INAUDIBLE] MISS PACHECO AND MISS HARRIS AND MISS RENTERIA.

WE ACTUALLY GOT TO MEET. THEY'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED SOME OF THEIR STUDENT LEADERS AND THEY'VE ALREADY BEGUN THAT TRAINING PROCESS.

SO THAT WHEN THE BANK OPENS, WHEN OUR SMART BRANCH OPENS, WE HAVE OUR STUDENT LEADERS ALREADY IN PLACE.

AND AT ONE OF THEIR RECENT FUNCTIONS, THEY WERE WORKING WITH A GROUP OF A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS, AND THEY ALREADY HAVE 22 OPEN ACCOUNTS. SO THIS GROUP OF STUDENT LEADERS ARE ALREADY ADVOCATING AND BUILDING THEIR PROGRAM.

I ALSO WANT TO REMIND THE COMMUNITY AND THE BOARD THAT AS PART OF OUR GRADUATE PROFILE FOR THE FINANCIAL LITERACY, WE WILL ALSO BE BRINGING OUR ELEMENTARY AND JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS, NOT JUST FROM THE BERKNER LEARNING COMMUNITY, BUT FROM THE ENTIRE DISTRICT, OVER TO EXPERIENCE, BE INSPIRED BY AND LEARN FROM THIS FACILITY.

SO IT REALLY IS A DISTRICT WIDE ENVIRONMENT, NOT JUST FOR BERKNER LEARNING COMMUNITY.

A COUPLE OF OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS SUMMER IS OUR MULTI CAMPUS ROOFING PROJECTS.

SO THE CAMPUS PICTURED HERE IS RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL.

IT GOT BRAND NEW ROOFS AND MSD ALSO RECEIVED A NEW ROOF.

WE ALSO HAD MULTI CAMPUS HVAC UPGRADES.

SO THESE INCLUDED JESS HARBEN, CMLC, FOREST LAND ACADEMY, AND BIG SPRINGS.

AND THEN ALSO COMPLETED WAS MULTI CAMPUS TURF PROJECTS.

AND THE CAMPUSES THAT RECEIVED NEW TURF ARE LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL, RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL AND BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL.

SO THESE ARE SOME PHOTOS.

THE FIELDS ARE PROFESSIONAL QUALITY.

THESE ARE BEAUTIFUL FIELDS.

MISS HAYES AND JUST BECAUSE I KNOW WE WILL GET AN EMAIL OR SOMEONE WILL INQUIRE, OUR SOFTBALL FIELDS ALSO HAVE TURF OR HAVE A PLAN TO BE TURF, CORRECT? THEY ALREADY ARE. BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL FIELDS WERE TURF AT ALL FOUR HIGH SCHOOLS.

YOU'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH TITLE NINE.

AND THEN WE HAD A BUNCH OF TEACHER LOUNGES THAT WERE ALSO UPGRADED.

THOSE INCLUDED DOVER ELEMENTARY, GREENWOOD, MST, NORTH JUNIOR, NORTH RIDGE, PARKHILL RICHARDSON TERRACE, WESTWOOD, DOBIE AND CMLC. SO THEY ALL GOT UPGRADES TO THEIR TEACHER LOUNGES.

THIS LAST SLIDE WE WANTED TO BRING BACK TO YOU.

THIS IS ONE THAT YOU SAW LAST SEPTEMBER WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT OUR BOND AND THE THREE PROJECTS THAT WERE OVER WHAT THE ORIGINAL BOND BUDGET WAS SET FOR, FOREST MEADOW, LAKE HIGHLANDS AND PEARCE.

AND SO WE BROUGHT THIS SLIDE TO THE BOARD.

AND UNDER YOUR DIRECTION, WE REMOVED THE THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY SAID WE COULD TAKE MONEY FROM SO THAT EACH OF THOSE THREE THAT ARE STARTING NOW, NORTH RIDGE, STOLTZ AND HAMILTON PARK WILL ALL RECEIVE THEIR $10 MILLION.

THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE LANDED.

SO WE WILL CONTINUE DOWN THIS ROAD UNLESS WE HEAR FROM THE BOARD FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

WE WILL CUT PROJECTS IN THE YEAR FIVE OF THE BOND IN THESE AREAS AS NECESSARY AFTER WE GET THROUGH ALL OF THE FIRST FOUR YEARS AND SEE EXACTLY WHAT'S LEFT ON THE TABLE.

AND WE WILL GO BACK THROUGH.

SO WE REMOVE SOME ROOF PROJECTS, SOME MECHANICAL EMS PROJECTS, A LITTLE BIT OF OUR JUST UNPLANNED UPGRADES, A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY THERE.

HOPEFULLY WE WON'T HAVE ANY MAJOR EMERGENCIES, A LITTLE BIT OF PLUMBING, THE DOORS AND HARDWARE.

WE TOOK A LARGE PORTION OF THAT OUT AT ONE POINT.

WE WERE HOPING TO REPLACE ALL THE DOORS IN THE CLASSROOMS, BUT WE'LL HOLD OFF ON THAT FOR ANOTHER BOND AND THEN SOME INTERIOR FINISHES AND THEN SOME EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS.

SO THAT IS NOT CHANGE.

THAT IS THE SAME EXACT SAME SLIDE THAT WE SHARED AND TALKED ABOUT IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR.

SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT BACK.

SO THE BOARD KNOWS WE ARE CONTINUING DOWN THE PATH OF THE DIRECTION GIVEN TO US LAST FALL.

AND THAT IS THE END.

SO IT'S BEEN A BUSY SUMMER, BUT EVERYTHING HAS TURNED OUT BEAUTIFULLY.

YES, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN SUPER BUSY.

ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.

RIGHT. QUICK COMMENT REAL QUICK.

SURE. ABSOLUTELY. I KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT HERE, BUT I WOULD ASSUME MAYBE I'M ASSUMING INCORRECTLY.

BUT WE'VE HAD GOOD COOPERATION WITH OUR CONTRACTORS AS WELL ON THESE, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT.

TAKE A DEEP BREATH BEFORE YOU ANSWER THAT.

BUT COMING INTO THIS SCHOOL YEAR, I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF PUSH, YOU KNOW, AND IT WAS A PRETTY AGGRESSIVE SCHEDULE ON SOME OF THESE.

AND AND I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS WERE COMMUNICATING WITH THEM A LOT ON WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS WERE.

SO I JUST I WANT TO I WANT TO SAY GOOD JOB WORKING WITH THE CONTRACTORS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY GET ACROSS THAT LINE SO THAT WE CAN GET KIDS IN SCHOOL ON THE SAME DAY.

[00:30:09]

WE DID PUSH HARD ON THEM.

WE DID HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS, AS WE ALWAYS DO FOR OUR VENDORS THAT WE WORK WITH, AND THEY DID COME THROUGH ON ALL OF OUR PROJECTS.

SO WE ARE WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE.

THERE ARE CERTAINLY THINGS THAT EVEN A CONTRACTOR CAN'T CONTROL, AND WE ALL KNOW THAT.

BUT WHEN WE SET A TIMELINE THAT WAS PARTICULARLY AGGRESSIVE, KNOWING THAT WE HAD DEADLINES THAT COULD NOT BE EXTENDED, WE WERE VERY PLEASED.

SO COMPLIMENTS TO BOTH OF THESE FOLKS FOR THEIR MANAGEMENT OF ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT WERE ON AND ALL OF OUR INTERNAL PROJECT MANAGERS THAT SPENT REALLY 24/7 ALMOST EVERY DAY OF THE SUMMER ON THOSE JOBS, MAKING SURE THAT THOSE CONTRACTORS.

SO, JONATHAN, GREG, DUSTY NUGENT, WE HAVE JUAN SANCHEZ JUNIOR AND PORTER PORTER AT FOREST MEADOWS GOING AROUND.

I'M GOING AROUND THE DISTRICT TO SEE IF I MISSED ANYBODY, FOR THOSE WERE THE FOUR BIG PROJECTS THAT WERE MANAGED.

SO OUTSTANDING WORK BY THOSE GENTLEMEN.

AND PRESIDENT HARRIS. THE ONLY THING I WOULD JUST WANT TO REMIND OUR COMMUNITY AS THEY'RE SEEING THESE BEAUTIFUL OUTCOME OF OUR BOND DOLLARS IS JUST, AGAIN, REITERATE THAT THESE ARE BOND DOLLARS. AND AS WE'RE ABOUT TO TRANSITION IN A MOMENT TO THE DIFFICULT CONVERSATION WE ARE HAVING AROUND OUR OPERATING DOLLARS AND SOME EFFICIENCIES WE NEED TO FIND. JUST A REMINDER TO THE COMMUNITY, WE CANNOT USE BOND DOLLARS ON THINGS LIKE PERSONNEL AND THEY ARE STRICTLY CAPITAL PROJECT RELATED ITEMS. AND SO JUST WANTED TO REITERATE AGAIN THAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BOND AND OUR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION FUNDS.

YES. AND WE DID SHOW YOU SOME PROJECTS THAT WERE NOT BOND FUNDED AS WELL, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THESE PROJECTS DID COME OR WERE ALREADY PLANNING THE BOND AND DID COME FROM BOND FUNDS. QUESTION ON THAT WITH THE I KNOW LIKE ON DOORS AND I THINK WE HAD DOORS AND HARDWARE.

I THINK ON ONE OF THOSE I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S STRICTLY TIED TO SECURITY OR JUST IT'S NOT BECAUSE I WAS WONDERING IF WE GET DOLLARS FROM STATE OR SOMETHING, CAN THAT SUPPLANT ANY KIND OF BOND? NO.

WHEN WHEN YOU WALK AROUND THE DISTRICT AND LOOK AT CLASSROOM DOORS, THEY'RE JUST LOOKING WORN.

THEY NEEDED SOME LOVE.

AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE PUT IN THIS BOND, 2021 WAS POTENTIALLY TO BE ABLE TO GO AND UPGRADE THE CLASSROOM DOORS.

AND THEY ALL WORK.

THEY'RE ALL ACTUALLY SOLID WOOD.

SO SECURITY WISE, THEY'RE BETTER THAN WHAT YOU CAN BUY NOW IN A LOT OF CASES.

AND THE HARDWARE TOO, WE WERE JUST GOING TO SWITCH OUT SOME OF THE HARDWARE AND MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE CONSISTENT.

DIFFERENT BUILDINGS HAVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DOORS AND HARDWARE DEPENDING ON WHEN THEY WERE BUILT.

SO THAT'S ALL THAT WAS.

NOT ALL THAT WAS, BUT THAT'S WHAT WAS PLANNED.

THANK YOU, MISS HAYES AND TEAM.

GREAT JOB. I WAS THRILLED TO SEE ALL OF THE UPGRADES.

I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE YEARS TO COME.

AND THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM, FOR THE REMINDER TO THE COMMUNITY.

REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN INFORMATION ITEM TO PRESENT AN UPDATE ON THE COMMUNITY BUDGET STEERING COMMITTEE.

[III.B. Update on Budget Steering Committee]

MS. HARRIS REMINDING THE COMMUNITY THE BOARD DID ADOPT A RESOLUTION IN JUNE THAT CHARGED THE STAFF WITH PUTTING TOGETHER A COMMUNITY BASED BUDGET STEERING COMMITTEE IN WHICH REALLY MS. HAYES AND MR. PATE ARE DOING A LOT OF THE HEAVY LIFTING AND FIRST AND FOREMOST, EDUCATING THE STEERING COMMITTEE ON WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO RUN A PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THE YEAR 2023.

BECAUSE AS YOU ALL KNOW, IT'S A VERY COMPLEX PROCESS AND THEN BEGINNING TO THEN SHIFT THE WORK INTO HOW DO WE IDENTIFY AND BEGIN TO RIGHT SIZE OUR BUDGET FOR THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WE SERVE. SO I'M GOING TO ASK MR. PATE AND MS. HAYES TO LEAD US IN THIS CONVERSATION.

THANK YOU, MS. BRANUM.

YES, WE STARTED.

WHOOPS, THERE IT GOES. SO OUR MEETING SCHEDULE, WE STARTED LAST MONTH ON JULY 25TH.

WE'VE HAD TWO MEETINGS AND WE HAVE SIX MEETINGS TOTAL SCHEDULED.

AND WITH A PLAN TO FOR THE COMMITTEE TO PRESENT ITS RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE TRUSTEES AT OUR DECEMBER 14TH BOARD MEETING.

EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE PROVIDING TO THE COMMITTEE PRESENTATIONS.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES MEETING SUMMARIES ARE ALL POSTED ON THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE.

THERE IS THE LINK TO THE COMMUNITY BUDGET STEERING COMMITTEE PAGE AND AGAIN IN FACT, AS OF THIS MORNING, EVERYTHING THAT WE PRESENTED LAST NIGHT AND SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT WERE REQUESTED ON WEDNESDAY HAVE BEEN POSTED AND THE MEETING MINUTES ARE NOW POSTED ALSO ON THE WEBSITE.

[00:35:03]

IT'S ACTUALLY LABELED CLICK HERE TO ASK A BUDGET AND FINANCE QUESTION.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE WELCOME QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS RELATED TO THIS PROCESS ALSO.

ON JULY 25TH, WE HAD OUR FIRST MEETING.

IT WAS A FOUNDATIONAL MEETING.

THE WE WENT OVER THE PURPOSE AND TIMELINE OF THE COMMITTEE.

A BRIEF DISTRICT OVERVIEW STARTED LOOKING AT ENROLLMENT TRENDS AND THE DEMOGRAPHERS PROJECTIONS THAT WE'RE EXPECTED TO SEE A DECREASE OF 4,200 STUDENTS IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND THEN AN ADDITIONAL 2,300 STUDENT DECREASE IN YEAR SIX THROUGH TEN.

WE PROVIDED A BRIEF SCHOOL FINANCE OVERVIEW AND JUST SOME OF THE KEY TAKEAWAYS THERE.

THE DISTRICT DOES NOT BENEFIT FROM PROPERTY VALUE GROWTH TO FUND DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS.

THE FUNDING ONLY INCREASES STATE FUNDING.

THAT IS, ONLY INCREASES OR AVAILABLE.

FUNDING REALLY ONLY INCREASES WHEN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS INCREASE BECAUSE IT IS A COMBINED PROPERTY TAX AND STATE FUNDING DOLLARS.

88% OF OUR BUDGET IS MADE UP OF PAYROLL.

AND THEN IF NO CHANGES ARE MADE IN THE WAY WE OPERATE THE DISTRICT AND STATE FUNDING DOESN'T CHANGE AND ALL THE UNFORTUNATELY, THE DEFICIT WILL CONTINUE TO GROW.

THE FIRST MEETING.

ALSO, I GOT TO DO SOMETHING THAT I HAVE NEVER DONE IN MY LIFE.

I GOT TO ASSIGN HOMEWORK TO A GROUP OF PEOPLE, NOT EVER HAVING BEEN A TEACHER, AND WE ASSIGNED HOMEWORK TO REVIEW THE DISTRICT'S MOST RECENT DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY.

ON AUGUST 22ND, TUESDAY, WE HAD OUR SECOND MEETING.

DISCUSSED THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET BY FUNCTION AND 81% OF OUR BUDGET IS INSTRUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT.

AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, SINCE OUR SOLE PURPOSE FOR EXISTING IS TO EDUCATE STUDENTS.

WE ALSO DISCUSSED STAFF FTES AND SOME STAFF FTE TRENDS [INAUDIBLE] ID, AND THEN WE LOOKED AT ENROLLMENT AND CAMPUS CAPACITY. AND UNDER THAT HEADING WE STARTED OUT LOOKING AT STUDENT TRANSFERS IN AND OUT OF THE DISTRICT AND STUDENTS LEAVING RISD TO GO TO OTHER DISTRICTS AND STUDENTS LEAVING OTHER DISTRICTS TO COME TO RISD.

WE ALSO LOOKED AT ELEMENTARY CAMPUS ENROLLMENT AND INDIVIDUAL CAMPUS CAPACITIES.

AND THEN WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH STAFFING IN THE ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS, BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY, STUDENTS DO NOT SHOW UP IN EVEN BLOCKS OF 22.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WITH THE WAY ENROLLMENT CHANGES DAILY FOR THE DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO TRYING TO HAVE THE RIGHT NUMBER OF TEACHERS, THE RIGHT NUMBER OF CLASSROOMS AT A GRADE LEVEL SO THAT WE CAN STAY UNDER THE 22 TO 1 ENROLLMENT GUIDELINE THAT THE STATE REQUIRES ON A CAMPUS EXCUSE ME, A CLASSROOM CAPACITY WITHOUT REQUESTING A WAIVER.

AND THEN OUR OOPS.

MISS HAYES, DO YOU WANT TO JUST STEP IN HERE FOR A MOMENT? SURE. SO WE ARE OPERATING THIS COMMITTEE SIMILAR TO HOW WE DID OUR BOND STEERING COMMITTEE BACK IN 2020-2021.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MR. PATE HAS A COMMITTEE DOING IS CHANGING TABLES AT EACH MEETING.

WHILE THAT SOUNDS REALLY SOMETHING SUPER EASY, IT MAKES A HUGE IMPACT ON LETTING THE COMMITTEE GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER WHILE WE INTRODUCE THEM ALL AND WE TALK AMONGST OURSELVES. IF YOU'RE AT A TABLE WITH DIFFERENT FOLKS EACH TIME, IT HELPS YOU TO GET DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.

AS MR. PATE DELIVERS A TON OF INFORMATION TO THIS COMMITTEE BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, FINANCES IN EDUCATION IS EXTREMELY COMPLICATED.

AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEAR FROM THE COMMITTEE, DIFFERENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS AT DIFFERENT TIMES IS, WELL, WHATEVER THEIR PERSPECTIVE IS ON DATA, IN THEIR JOB ROLE, THEY TRY TO TAKE OUR DATA AND FIT IT INTO THAT BOX.

AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MR. PATE HAS TO REMIND OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS FROM THE COMMUNITY HOW EDUCATIONAL DATA IN THE IN OUR WORLD, IT DOESN'T FIT INTO A BUSINESS BOX.

IT'S NOT CREATED THAT WAY.

IT'S NOT ABOUT A WIDGET.

IT'S NOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE BOTTOM LINE REVENUE.

SO OUR, OUR, OUR CONVERSATIONS ARE DIFFERENT.

AND SO THAT'S A NICE PIECE TO HEAR WHEN YOU'RE IN THOSE COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR PEOPLE WHEN THEY FINALLY REALIZE, OH, THAT THAT'S NEVER GOING TO FIT LIKE THAT.

AND SO THOSE ARE GOOD AHA MOMENTS THAT MR. PATE IS ABLE TO GUIDE THEM THROUGH IN HOPES THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE BIG PICTURE OF WHAT NOW THE REALITY OF THE DISTRICT IS AND THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE NOW HAVE TO HAVE STARTING

[00:40:04]

THANK YOU, MRS. HAYES. AND I WOULD SAY ONE OF THE REALLY GOOD EXAMPLES OF THAT CONVERTING BUSINESS WORLD LANGUAGE TO SCHOOL DISTRICT LANGUAGE HAPPENED TUESDAY NIGHT WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING STAFF FTES.

AND ONE OF OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS ASKED, HOW DO YOU DEFINE THAT? IS IT SOMEBODY THAT WORKS 2,080 HOURS A YEAR, WHICH THE BUSINESS WORLD GENERALLY THINKS OF? AND THE ANSWER IS NO.

MYSELF, AS A 226 DAY EMPLOYEE AND ONE OF OUR TEACHERS THAT'S 187 DAY EMPLOYEE ARE BOTH ONE FTE, AS IS ONE OF OUR FACILITIES FOLKS THAT WORKS FOR MS. HAYES THAT'S A 261 DAY EMPLOYEE.

WE ALL WORK DIFFERENT LENGTH CONTRACTS, BUT WE ARE ALL ONE FTE IN OUR ROLE, SO THAT IS DEFINITELY A DIFFERENT WORLD FOR A NUMBER OF OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS.

AND I WILL JUST TAKE A MINUTE TO THANK MR. BLACKMAN. HE IS SERVING ON OUR COMMITTEE.

HE IS APPARENTLY A GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT BECAUSE HE'S HERE TONIGHT WANTING TO HEAR ME TALK ABOUT THIS AGAIN.

AND SO OUR NEXT STEPS AT OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING, WE WILL START OUR SUBCOMMITTEE WORK BREAKING THE GROUP UP TO START TACKLING SOME OF THIS AND REALLY WORKING ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS, WORKING TOWARDS THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.

I WOULD SAY THAT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER AND THEN FINALIZING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AT OUR DECEMBER MEETING AND THEN BRINGING THEM FORWARD TO THE BOARD AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER AT OUR DECEMBER 14TH BOARD MEETING.

AND WITH THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF MISS BRANUM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING MORE ABOUT THE COMMITTEE OR I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR MISS HAYES, IF YOU WANT TO ADD SOMETHING. I JUST I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE MR. PATE AND MISS HAYES LEADERSHIP AS WE BREAK UP INTO COMMITTEES CABINET.

THEY WILL BE WORKING CLOSELY WITHIN EACH COMMITTEE TO KIND OF BE THAT RESOURCE AND THAT EXPERT TO HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS, GUIDE WORK, SOMETIMES BE THE ONE THAT ASKS THE QUESTIONS SO THAT THE GROUP IS AGAIN WHEN THEY MIGHT BE APPLYING AN ASSUMPTION FROM THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE, MAKING SURE THAT IT DOES APPLY TO THE WORK THAT WE DO AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT.

BUT WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS.

AND AGAIN, EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMITTEE IS AVAILABLE ONLINE.

I WANT TO THANK STRATEGY AND ENGAGEMENT WHO HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB OF PROVIDING VERY DETAILED NOTES AND MINUTES FROM THE MEETING AS WELL.

SO WE JUST AGAIN WANT TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT ABOUT THE WORK BEING DONE.

AND IF I COULD JUST ADD, BECAUSE I FAILED TO SAY SO, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE SERVING ON THIS COMMITTEE.

THEY ARE PUTTING IN THE WORK.

THEY ARE DEFINITELY REVIEWING THE INFORMATION THAT WE ARE ASKING.

THEY'RE ASKING GREAT QUESTIONS AND I JUST CANNOT THANK THEM ENOUGH FOR THE EFFORTS THEY'RE PUTTING INTO THIS PROCESS.

YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY.

THANK YOU, MR. PATE, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AND YOUR TEAM AND TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR STEPPING UP, BECAUSE THIS IS SOME TOUGH WORK.

IT CAN BE CONFUSING BECAUSE, AGAIN, AS YOU STATED, WE ALWAYS WANT TO COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES AND IT'S REALLY NOT.

SO MY QUESTION IS, SO DID YOU SEE SOME BIG AHA MOMENTS FROM OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS? YES, I THINK WE HAD.

I THINK WE HAD A LOT OF AHA MOMENTS IN THE FIRST TWO MEETINGS.

I THINK THERE WERE I THINK THERE WAS A WHILE THEY KNOW THAT IN THE END WE ARE DEALING WITH PEOPLE.

I THINK TRANSLATING WHAT SEEMS MAYBE WHEN I'M PRODUCING A PRODUCT OR PRODUCING A WIDGET, WHAT MAKES SENSE IN THAT ENVIRONMENT, IF I CAN TWEAK SOMETHING OVER HERE, I MIGHT REORGANIZE SOMETHING OVER HERE AND THEN THAT IS GOING TO PRODUCE A MORE EFFICIENT PRODUCT THAT MIGHT EVEN BE A HIGHER QUALITY PRODUCT.

THAT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE TO ALL OF US.

BUT WHEN YOU PUT UP REAL NUMBERS WITH REAL KIDS AND YOU TALK ABOUT ONCE SCHOOLS STARTING MAKING A DECISION THAT MIGHT ON THE SURFACE FEEL MORE EFFICIENT AND MIGHT IDENTIFY AS A COST SAVINGS, BUT RECOGNIZING THAT THERE ARE 15, YOU KNOW, EIGHT YEAR OLD'S BEHIND THAT NUMBER THAT COULD HAVE THEIR WHOLE WORLD DISRUPTED. AND THEN YOU HAVE AN EDUCATOR WHO HAS SETTLED INTO HIS OR HER CLASSROOM ROOM AND HAVE FORMED A COMMUNITY AND ASKED THEM TO PACK UP AND POTENTIALLY MOVE.

IT'S THERE ARE JUST A WHOLE LOT OF MORE COMPLEX COMPLEXITIES TO IT THAN JUST AND SOMETIMES WE WISH WE COULD JUST PUT IN A MAKE A CODE CHANGE AND BE MORE EFFICIENT.

I THINK THAT WAS AN AHA. I THINK THERE WAS AN AHA AROUND HOW COMPLEX OUR REPORTING SYSTEM IS AND THAT

[00:45:05]

SO TO TRY TO MAKE MEANING OF IT IN A WAY THAT'S GOING TO LEAD YOU TO MAKING SOME RECOMMENDATIONS IS REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT.

AND IT DOES REQUIRE THE EXPERTISE OF THE DISTRICT LEADERSHIP TO HELP SIT ALONGSIDE THAT COMMITTEE AND ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS AND GUIDE THAT CONVERSATION. THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT TEACHER FACILITATOR AND WHAT IS A TEACHER FACILITATOR? WELL, THAT HAPPENS TO BE OUR INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES, SO WE CALL THEM INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES.

BUT WHEN THEY ARE REPORTED TO THE STATE, THEY'RE CALLED TEACHER FACILITATORS.

SO JUST EVEN THAT WHERE YOU WOULD LOOK AT SOMETHING, YOU WOULD THINK THAT SHOULD BE SO EASY.

BUT REALLY IT'S MULTI-LAYERED.

I DON'T KNOW IF ANY CABINET MEMBER, MISS HAYES, ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER AHA'S FROM THE GROUP? I WOULD SAY THE SAME ONE WE HEAR WHEN WE TALK TO FOLKS ONE ON ONE ABOUT WHY YOU'RE PAYING MORE TAXES.

BUT THE DISTRICT DOESN'T GET MORE MONEY FOR SURE.

SO WHEN THAT REALLY IS TALKED ABOUT, THE FOLKS THAT HAVEN'T HEARD THAT BEFORE, LIKE YOU MEAN, I'M PAYING MORE TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT YOU DON'T GET TO KEEP IT TO HELP.

AND THEN ALSO JUST HOW MUCH WE PAY TO DCAD EVERY YEAR FOR THEM TO GO OUT AND APPRAISE THE HOUSES, FOR THEM TO TELL PEOPLE HOW MUCH TO PAY.

BUT THEN IT DOESN'T GO BACK TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

SO ANOTHER CHILD. BUT THIS COMMITTEE DID NOT HAD NOT REALLY REALIZED THE IMPACT OF THE FACT THAT WHILE WE MAY SERVE 36,000 THIS YEAR, 429 KIDS SO FAR, THE STATE ONLY FUNDS US BASED UPON HOW MANY OF THEM ACTUALLY SHOW UP EVERY DAY.

AND SO PARENTS, THIS MOM IN PARTICULAR, AND THE COMMITTEE IN GENERAL HAD NO IDEA THAT WHEN WHEN I DON'T SEND MY CHILD TO SCHOOL, NOT ONLY CAN IT HAVE AN ACADEMIC IMPACT, BUT IT ALSO HAS A FINANCIAL IMPACT TO THE DISTRICT.

AND SHE WAS LIKE, YOU ALL NEED TO MAKE SURE TO MESSAGE THIS TO PARENTS BECAUSE, YES, WE WANT OUR KIDS TO STAY HOME WHEN THEY'RE SICK, BUT THEY DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT.

SO IT COSTS US OUR COSTS ARE THE COST.

WE HAVE TO RUN A TRANSPORTATION.

WE HAVE TO FEED THE CHILDREN, WE HAVE TO EDUCATE THE CHILDREN, BUT WE ONLY GET PAID UPON HOW OFTEN THEY SHOW UP.

IT'S RIGHT.

AND I THINK SHE USED THAT MODEL LIKE THAT'S A TERRIBLE MODEL.

LIKE WHO EVER THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA? SO I THINK THERE ARE SOME OF THOSE AHA'S AND THEN I WOULD SAY AN OVERALL GENERAL FRUSTRATION WITH THE CURRENT FUNDING FORMULA AND THE FACT THAT WE'VE NOT SEEN IN THAT AUSTIN HAS NOT PROVIDED US AN INCREASE SINCE 2019.

AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE AHA FROM OUR DEMOGRAPHERS REPORT.

OH, YES. JUST SAYING.

ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? COMMENTS? I JUST WANT TO MAKE ONE COMMENT.

THANK YOU FOR THE HARD WORK.

YOU GUYS DO A GREAT JOB.

BUT ON THE PART WHERE YOU ONLY GET PAID BASED ON KIDS COMING TO SCHOOL.

AS A PARENT, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT EITHER.

AND UPON REALIZING THAT, I TAKE THAT TO HEART.

SO WHEN MY KIDS ARE LIKE, I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL, I'M THINKING, YOU HAVE TO GO, YOU HAVE TO GO.

SO IT DOES GIVE YOU A TOTAL DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON GETTING KIDS TO SCHOOL.

YOU DO IT, MISS PACHECO.

JUST A QUICK THANK YOU TO THE COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE LEADERS.

I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS AND THANKS FOR HELPING MOTIVATE THEM AND EDUCATING THEM AND BRING OUT SOME GOOD PRODUCT OUT OF THIS PRODUCT IDEAS.

RIGHT. OUR NEW WIDGETS.

YEAH. PRESIDENT HARRIS SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM, I WOULD JUST ADD FOR ALL THOSE REASONS, THAT IS WHY WE WILL BE RECOGNIZING AND BUILDING AWARENESS IN SEPTEMBER AS ATTENDANCE AWARENESS MONTH THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.

YES, YES, I KNOW.

EXCELLENT. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH, MS. HAYES. AND MR. PATE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND AGAIN TO THE COMMUNITY FOR COMING OUT AND SUPPORTING THIS.

OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN INFORMATION ITEM TO PRESENT THE STAAR PERFORMANCE REVIEW.

[III.C. STAAR/ EOC Updates]

I'M GOING TO INVITE MR. CORTEZ, AND DR.

LEEPER WILL BE JOINING IN AS WELL AS WE REALLY HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION ON THIS TOPIC, REALLY BEGINNING IN JANUARY ON THE BOARD ACTUALLY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE STAAR 2.0.

AS YOU KNOW, THEY WENT THROUGH A SIGNIFICANT REDESIGN FOR THE 22-23 SCHOOL YEAR AND YOU ALL GOT TO TAKE SOME OF THOSE SAMPLE ITEMS AND REALLY GOT TO EXPERIENCE WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR, YOU KNOW, AN EIGHT YEAR OLD IN THIRD GRADE TO TACKLE A READING LANGUAGE ARTS THAT WAS NOT JUST READING ANYMORE, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDED

[00:50:07]

SO THIS REALLY HAS THROWN ALL OF OUR SYSTEMS AND OUR PROCESSES A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ORDER BECAUSE WE ARE USED TO GETTING OUR STAAR RESULTS IN LATE MAY, EARLY JUNE, THAT GAVE OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING TIME TEAM, OUR AREA SUPERINTENDENTS, OUR ENTIRE LEADERSHIP, AN OPPORTUNITY TO DIVE INTO OUR RESULTS, REALLY IDENTIFY THE AREAS OF AN OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SO THAT WE COULD HAVE THINGS READY FOR THE BEGINNING OF SCHOOL.

WELL, WE DID NOT GET THESE RESULTS IN THAT TIME FRAME AND WE REALLY DIDN'T GET THEM UNTIL AFTER SCHOOL STARTED.

SO IN TERMS OF OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING WORK, DOCTOR LEEPER WILL SHARE SOME OF THAT.

BUT I THINK MY MESSAGE FOR YOU IS THAT EVEN DESPITE THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE THAT HAPPENED IN THE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM, WE STILL HAD AN EXPERIENCED A LOT OF GROWTH.

SO DESPITE SO MANY DISRUPTIVE CHANGES AND OUR TEACHERS HAVE HAD TO HANDLE DISRUPTIVE CHANGE AFTER DISRUPTIVE CHANGE AFTER DISRUPTIVE CHANGE FOR SEVERAL SEVERAL YEARS.

DESPITE THAT, WE STILL EXPERIENCED A LOT OF GROWTH.

WE ARE NOT WHERE WE WANT TO BE, BUT WE EXPERIENCED GROWTH.

WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH YOU THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE MADE IN OUR BOARD GOALS, AND I'M VERY PROUD THAT WE HAVE HIT THE TARGET OR EXCEEDED THE TARGET THAT YOU SET FOR US IN OUR BOARD GOALS.

AND WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS IN THAT REGARDS AS WELL.

AND THEN OUR RESPONSE TO TO WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED FOR THE MOST PART IS WE'RE STAYING THE COURSE.

THERE IS NOT A BIG SYSTEM ADJUSTMENT NEEDED.

THERE IS NOT A WHIPLASH RESPONSE OF THIS IS TELLING US SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO THROW OUT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

NO, WE ARE STAYING THE COURSE.

WE'RE STAYING FOCUSED ON ENSURING HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTION FOR EVERY STUDENT AND GROWTH FOR ALL.

AND WE'LL DIG INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE AT THE END.

BUT I HOPE THOSE ARE THE TAKEAWAYS.

WE'VE EXPERIENCED GROWTH DESPITE A DISRUPTIVE CHANGE, AND WE ARE STAYING THE COURSE FOR THE WORK AND THE FOCUS THAT WE HAVE.

SO, MR. CORTEZ, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.

SURE. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THE SETUP BOARD.

GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AGAIN.

I THINK SHE SUMMED IT UP.

ANY QUESTIONS? [LAUGHTER] THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE FOR.

NO. IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, TONIGHT, I AM APPRECIATIVE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THE RESULTS.

THE RESULTS ARE STILL, LIKE MISS BRANUM SAID, RATHER FRESH.

WE DID NOT RECEIVE OUR FINAL EOC SCORES UNTIL AUGUST 8TH AND THEN OUR FINAL THREE THROUGH EIGHT STAAR SCORES UNTIL AUGUST 11TH.

THAT WAS THE FRIDAY BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED.

AND SO GETTING THAT DATA FILE IN, TRYING TO GET IT INTO OUR SYSTEMS SO THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CAN GO IN AND JUST TRY TO GET AN IDEA OF OF THE KIDS THAT ARE COMING TO THEM ON MONDAY, YOU KNOW, SO AS MISS BRANUM SAID, REALLY NOT BEING ABLE TO DIG INTO THE DATA AND WE ARE STILL PROCESSING THE DATA WHERE WE WOULD HAVE SEVERAL WEEKS TO BE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT ITEM ANALYSIS AND REVIEW ITEM TYPES AND LOOK AT PERFORMANCE AND MEASURE GROWTH IN THE NEW MODEL THAT THEY'RE THAT THEY'RE DOING USING TRANSITION TABLES RATHER THAN A PROGRESS MEASURE.

WE'RE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL OF THAT ANALYSIS.

MY TEAM AND I ARE STILL WORKING TOWARDS THAT.

OUR FIRST GOAL WAS JUST TO GET THE INFORMATION TO THE CAMPUSES SO THEY CAN START TO RESPOND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

AND NOW WE'RE DOING MORE OF A DEEP DIVE.

SO TONIGHT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THE THE OVERALL RESULTS SUMMARY.

WE'LL BREAK IT OUT BY TOTAL OR OVERALL SUBJECT BY GRADE LEVEL.

WE'LL ALSO TALK ABOUT THOSE THIRD GRADE BOARD GOALS.

AND THEN, AS MISS BRANUM SAID, OUR NEXT STEPS.

UM, SO JUST A FEW THINGS FOR OUR, FOR OUR SUMMARY HERE IS THAT JUST AS A REMINDER, WE DID HAVE CHANGES TO THE STAAR TEST LAST YEAR AND YOU KNOW, THE MAIN ONES THAT REALLY AFFECTED AND WE ANTICIPATED WOULD AFFECT SOME OF OUR SCORES INCLUDED THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW ITEM TYPES.

AND WE DID SEE THE STATE SAW THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF THOSE TYPES ACTUALLY DID INCREASE THE RIGOR OF THE TEST.

AND SO PART OF THE REASON WE GOT DATA LATE WAS BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THEY HAD TO GO THROUGH AND RESCALE AND RESCORE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE APPROACHES MEETS AND MASTERS BECAUSE OF THE RIGOR INTRODUCED AND THE CHANGES IN POINT VALUES FOR SOME OF THOSE INTERACTIVE QUESTIONS AND CONSTRUCTED RESPONSES WERE EMBEDDED INTO OUR READING TESTS.

SO ONCE AGAIN, THEY DID AWAY WITH THE WRITING TEST AND PUT ALL OF THOSE COMPONENTS TO JOIN READING AND WRITING TOGETHER IN A CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE FORMAT, BOTH IN

[00:55:06]

AND SO OUR THIRD GRADERS WERE INTRODUCED TO TYPING OUT, YOU KNOW, SHORT ANSWER RESPONSES AND LONGER EXTENDED RESPONSES.

THEY ALSO THEY ALSO CHANGED THE SCORING RUBRIC FOR THOSE EXTENDED CONSTRUCTED RESPONSES.

BOTH THE RUBRIC CHANGED AS FAR AS RIGOR AND HOW THEY WERE MEASURING IT, AS WELL AS THE POINT VALUES.

SO WHEREAS BEFORE THEY WOULD GRADE THE ESSAYS ON THE WRITING TEST ON A FOUR POINT SCALE FOR THESE, THEY MOVED IT TO A FIVE POINT SCALE AND EACH WRITING SAMPLE IS IS RATED BY TWO RATERS.

AND SO THOSE RESPONSES BECOME, YOU KNOW, A LARGE PORTION OF THE TEST JUST POINTS WISE.

HOWEVER, DESPITE ALL OF THAT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'LL NOTICE THROUGHOUT THE SLIDES, YOU'LL SEE A SIMILAR PATTERN OF THESE NEXT THREE BULLETS IS THAT COMPARED TO 2022, IN 2023, RISD INCREASED OUR PASSING RATES.

THAT'S THE APPROACHES LEVEL AND ABOVE AND THE ENCOMPASSING APPROACHES MEETS AND MASTERS IN 18 OF THE 20 TESTED AREAS BY GRADE LEVEL AND SUBJECT.

WHEN COMPARING OUR PERFORMANCE TO THE STATE IN 2023, WE OUTPERFORM THE STATE IN 16 OF THE 20 AREAS AT THE MEETS AND MASTER'S LEVEL.

AND ACTUALLY YOU'LL SEE ON SOME OF THE CHARTS THAT WE HAVE THAT THAT IS REALLY A THREE YEAR PATTERN POST COVID OF US PERFORMING BETTER THAN THE STATE A T THOSE HIGHER LEVELS.

BECAUSE WHEN OUR STUDENTS PASS THE TEST, THEY DON'T TYPICALLY PASS IT JUST THE APPROACHES LEVEL.

THEY THEY PASS AT THE ON GRADE LEVEL AND ABOVE, WHICH IS WHICH IS REALLY SAYING SOMETHING FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR KIDS.

AND YOU'LL CONTINUE TO SEE THE INCREASE IN OUR PERFORMANCE ACADEMICALLY.

AND SO A CONTINUED FOCUS ON THAT NORTH STAR GOAL, REALLY FOCUSING ON GROWTH YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASING.

AND SO YOU'LL SEE ON SOME OF OUR CHARTS WHEN WE LOOK AT THE MEETS GRADE LEVEL, WHICH IS WHERE WE WILL FOCUS.

YOU'LL SEE THAT CLIMB CONTINUE TO KEEP US ON A POSITIVE TRAJECTORY.

SO WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE INFORMATION BY SUBJECT.

AND WHEN I SAY BY SUBJECT, WE REPORTED OUT THE SAME WAY THAT THE STATE DOES.

AND SO THIS THESE CHARTS ARE GOING TO INCLUDE READING.

AND WHEN WE SAY READING, THAT MEANS EVERYTHING FROM THIRD GRADE THROUGH ENGLISH TWO WHEN WE LOOK AT MATH, THAT'S EVERYTHING THIRD GRADE THROUGH ALGEBRA ONE, SO ON AND SO FORTH.

AND OUR FOCUS, LIKE I SAID, IS AT THE MEETS GRADE LEVEL LEVEL.

SO THIS FIRST GRAPH SHOWS ON THE LEFT SHOWS OUR PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS ACROSS ALL OF READING OR RLA AT PRE COVID BACK IN 2019, IF YOU REMEMBER, WE WERE AT 51%.

EVERYTHING KIND OF TOOK A DIP, THAT COVID SLIDE.

BUT WE HAVE SINCE RECOVERED IN THAT TRAJECTORY AND ARE MOVING BACK POSITIVELY.

SO NOW WE ARE AT IN 2023, 54% OF OUR STUDENTS IN READING AT THAT LEVEL.

THE CHART ON THE RIGHT THEN KIND OF BREAKS OUT FOR US BEFORE WE GET INTO ALL OF THE BIG PERCENTAGES, THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS THAT ARE IN EACH BUCKET BECAUSE THE STATE REPORTS OUT NUMBERS TWO WAYS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY.

IT INCLUDES IT IN WHAT WE CALL A NESTED VIEW, WHERE ESSENTIALLY IT ADDS UP.

LIKE IF WE WANT APPROACHES, WE WOULD ADD UP ALL THREE OF THE NUMBERS ABOVE THE BLACK BAR RIGHT THERE IN THE IN THE PURPLE, GREEN AND BLUE.

BUT THAT KIND OF MASKS THE OVERALL MOVEMENT OF STUDENTS AT THE MASTER'S LEVEL AND THE MEETS LEVEL.

SO THEY'RE IN THE GREEN AND THE BLUE.

AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOT ONLY CONSIDER WHAT THE OVERALL PASSING PERCENTAGE LOOKS LIKE, BUT THEN ALSO HOW THAT BREAKS DOWN SO WE CAN SEE HOW WE ARE MOVING STUDENTS UP. THE NUMBERS, THE PERCENTAGES BELOW THE BLACK BAR ON THESE CHARTS ARE THE PERCENT OF STUDENTS AT THE DID NOT MEET.

AND SO WE WANT TO SEE THAT NUMBER CONTINUE TO SHRINK AS WE CONTINUE TO HELP THOSE STUDENTS GET TO A PASSING LEVEL.

THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S OUR GOAL, IS TO MOVE EVERY MOVE TOWARDS EVERYBODY PASSING.

SO YOU'LL SEE ON THE ON THE RIGHT IN 20 OR ON THE LEFT IN 2023, THAT 54%.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THE SIMILAR COLUMN IN 2023, THAT 54% REPRESENTS 30% OF STUDENTS THAT WERE AT THE MEETS LEVEL AND 24% OF STUDENTS AT THE

[01:00:04]

SO THAT'S JUST THAT EXAMPLE OF NESTING THOSE NUMBERS TOGETHER.

AND SO THE CHARTS THAT WILL SHOW WILL LOOK SIMILAR FOR YOU.

BUT YOU NOTICE A COMMON TREND HERE.

WE SEE GROWTH, OUR PASSING PERCENTAGE.

SO THE HEIGHT OF THE BAR ON THE ON THE RIGHT CONTINUES TO GROW EACH YEAR FROM 2021 THROUGH 2023.

WHEN WE TAKE THE INFORMATION AT THE MEETS GRADE LEVEL AND BREAK IT OUT BY OUR FOUR LARGEST RACE AND ETHNIC GROUPS, AS WELL AS OUR COMMONLY REPORTED STUDENT GROUPS, WE WILL SEE THAT SIMILAR TREND WITH OUR STUDENTS.

SO THE THE DOTTED LINE THERE WITH THE SOLID BOXES, THAT'S THE EXACT SAME LINE THAT WE SAW ON THE CHART BEFORE.

SO THAT IS THE ALL STUDENTS AT THE MEETS GRADE LEVEL.

WE THEN BREAK IT OUT BY AFRICAN AMERICAN, HISPANIC, WHITE AND ASIAN FOR US.

AND AS A REMINDER, OUR ASIAN POPULATION INCLUDES A NUMBER OF OUR REFUGEES THAT COME INTO TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT YEAR OVER YEAR.

SO IT'S NOT A STEREOTYPICAL ASIAN POPULATION THAT WOULD BE MORE COMPARATIVE OF THE STATE NUMBER.

OUR ASIAN POPULATION LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

UM, AND SO HERE ONCE AGAIN, WE KIND OF SEE THAT THAT SIMILAR TREND IN OUR, OUR WHITE STUDENTS, HISPANIC, AFRICAN AMERICAN OF INCREASING GROWTH AT THE MEETS LEVEL GRADE LEVEL YEAR OVER YEAR.

ADDITIONALLY, OUR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS ARE EMERGENT BILINGUALS AND OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS CONTINUE TO ALSO SEE POSITIVE GROWTH.

AND SO WHILE THOSE AREAS ARE NOT AT THE STUDENT GROUPS ON THE RIGHT ARE NOT AT THE PERCENTAGES THAT WE ARE AIMING FOR, THEY ARE STILL IN LINE WITH WITH INCREASES YEAR OVER YEAR.

SIMILAR VIEW IN MATH HERE.

SO WE'LL LOOK AT SAME CHART FORMAT.

AND AS A REMINDER, ACROSS THE STATE, ACROSS THE NATION, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE TOOK THE LARGEST HIT WHEN COVID HAPPENED.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, THE MORE HANDS ON TYPE ACTIVITIES.

THE WAY THAT WE TEACH IS VERY INTERACTIVE AND AS WELL AS VERTICAL ALIGNMENT OF TEKS.

SO HERE WHEN COVID PROVIDED THOSE INTERRUPTIONS FOR US, YOU KNOW, IT LIMITED THE WAY THAT WE COULD REALLY INTERACT.

AND SO OUR TEACHERS HAD TO FIND NEW WAYS TO GET THE SAME MESSAGE ACROSS FOR STUDENTS.

AND WE ARE RECOVERING AND WHICH IS GOOD.

WE SEE THAT COVID CLIMB FROM 2021 THROUGH TO 2023 OF STUDENTS AT THE MEETS GRADE LEVEL AND ABOVE.

UM, ALSO POINTING OUT THE LITTLE THE CHARTS ON THE RIGHT.

WHAT YOU'LL NOTICE IS, YOU KNOW, THE THE ORANGE BOXES ARE GETTING ARE SHRINKING, WHICH IS GOOD.

THAT MEANS MORE STUDENTS ARE PASSING.

AND WE SEE AN INCREASE IN THE PURPLE, WHICH IS AT THE APPROACHES LEVEL, BUT ALSO INCREASE AT THE MEETS LEVEL, UM, AND THEN MAINTAINING AT THE MASTER'S LEVEL.

SO THAT MEANS THOSE STUDENTS AREN'T DROPPING DOWN INTO THE MEETS LEVEL.

WE'RE KEEPING OUR STUDENTS AND KEEPING OUR STUDENT PERCENTAGES AT THE AT THE SAME LEVEL THEY WERE AT.

SO WE'RE NOT LOSING TRACTION THERE.

SIMILAR TRAJECTORIES ONCE AGAIN, WHEN WE BREAK THIS INFORMATION OUT BY OUR RACE AND ETHNIC GROUPS, AS WELL AS OUR COMMONLY REPORTED STUDENT GROUPS, UM, YOU KNOW, AND SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE GROUPS WE SEE INCREMENTAL GROWTH.

BUT IT IS STILL THAT THAT POSITIVE TRAJECTORY AND THOSE THOSE POINTS AS WE'LL SEE LATER IN THE BOARD GOAL REVIEW, ARE ALSO IN LINE WITH ALSO IN LINE WITH OUR INCREMENTAL GROWTH LIKE TRYING TO GET BACK TO THAT ORIGINAL TRAJECTORY WE WERE ON PRE-COVID.

WE HAVE SCIENCE HERE.

AND THEN WE'LL FOLLOW THIS BY SOCIAL STUDIES.

ONCE AGAIN, DIP SLIDE, BUT THEN COVID CLIMB AND PASSING RATES CONTINUE TO RISE, AS WELL AS OUR NUMBER OF STUDENTS AT THE APPROACHES AND THE MEETS LEVEL.

SO PERCENT OF STUDENTS THERE THAT ARE NOT ONLY PASSING BUT PASSING AT HIGHER LEVELS IN THE MINIMUM PASSING STANDARD.

[01:05:10]

AND THEN ONCE AGAIN FOR SOCIAL STUDIES.

YOU KNOW, REALLY, REALLY SEEING RECOVERY ESPECIALLY FROM 22 TO 23 THROUGH THE STAAR REDESIGN.

WHEN WE BREAK THIS INFORMATION DOWN BY GRADE LEVEL.

YOU'LL SEE THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR 22 SPRING, 22 TO SPRING 23 LEVELS, YOU WILL SEE AT THE AT THE APPROACHES LEVEL AND ABOVE.

THIS IS NOW THESE NUMBERS ARE NOW THOSE NESTED NUMBERS.

SO THEY'RE ADDING ALL OF THE BOXES FROM BEFORE.

BUT WE SEE PROGRESS AT THE APPROACHES LEVEL ACROSS JUST ABOUT ACROSS THE BOARD.

REMEMBER, THIS WAS AN 18 OUT OF 20 TESTED SUBJECT AREAS THAT WE'LL SEE TONIGHT.

AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR COMPARISON TO TEXAS IN THE 2023 COLUMN, ONCE AGAIN WE SEE THAT AT THE MEETS AND MASTER'S LEVELS, WE ARE HIGHER THAN THE STATE AND IN SOME AREAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE STATE.

WHEN WE LOOK AT MATH SAME STORY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT AROUND SEVENTH GRADE AND EIGHTH GRADE MATH.

SO THESE ARE TWO AREAS.

AND YOU NOTICE POST-COVID IS WHEN WE STARTED WORKING WITH TXNSI, THAT'S THE TEXAS NETWORK FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ON THEIR ALGEBRA, ON OUR ALGEBRA FOR ALL INITIATIVE.

WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT STARTING BACK IN 2021, WE STARTED PHASING IN OUR JUNIOR HIGHS INTO STUDENTS THAT CAN IN SEVENTH GRADE ACCELERATE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE EIGHTH GRADE COURSE MATERIAL AND TEST ON THE EIGHTH GRADE TEST.

AND AS TO WHERE BEFORE ONLY OUR STUDENTS WHO WERE IN THE PRE-AP CLASS.

HERE WE'VE TRIED TO MOVE TOWARDS EVERYBODY, THUS THE FOR ALL.

SO BY THE TIME THEY GET TO EIGHTH GRADE, OUR ON LEVEL EIGHTH GRADERS AND ABOVE LEVEL EIGHTH GRADERS ARE ACCELERATED INTO ALGEBRA ONE.

THIS 18% PASSING FOR THE STATE OR FOR THE FOR THE DISTRICT IS NOT VERY COMPARABLE TO THE STATE BECAUSE OF THIS AND THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT ACTUALLY TOOK THE ON LEVEL SEVENTH GRADE TEST WAS ONLY 202 STUDENTS, AND THAT REPRESENTS ROUGHLY BETWEEN 7 AND 8% OF THE WHOLE SEVENTH GRADE POPULATION ACROSS THE DISTRICT.

SO MORE MORE THAN 90% OF OUR STUDENTS WERE ACCELERATED INTO THAT EIGHTH GRADE CURRICULUM.

AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE ALSO SEE OUR EIGHTH GRADE NUMBER.

COMPARED BACK TO PRE-COVID, NOT ONLY DID IT TAKE A HIT, BUT THAT ALSO KIND OF DEFLATES THE NUMBER HERE BECAUSE ALL OF OUR ON LEVEL AND ABOVE GRADE LEVEL.

EIGHTH GRADERS ARE ACTUALLY TESTING IN ALGEBRA ONE.

HOWEVER, FOR EIGHTH GRADE, WE ARE STILL SEEING GROWTH, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE ACCELERATING STUDENTS YEAR OVER YEAR.

QUESTION? SO HOW DO WE SO KNOWING THAT AND KNOWING WHAT THE CONTEXT AROUND THOSE NUMBERS ARE, HOW DO WE DETERMINE OR USE THEM? HOW DO WE HAVE A USABLE METRIC WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY OPERATE OFF OF IT AND DETERMINE WHERE WE ARE WITH THESE STUDENTS IN MATH? NOW THAT WE'VE KIND OF THIS METRIC DOESN'T TELL THE STORY AS MUCH ANYMORE, IS THAT A DO WE THEN FALL BACK ON OUR MAP DATA OR HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT A LITTLE BIT.

WELL, I WOULD SAY FOR THE MOST PART, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT IF THEY'RE IN JUNIOR HIGH, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THEIR MAP DATA TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THEIR THAT THEY'RE MAKING THEIR GROWTH THAT THEY NEED TO.

AND THEN REALLY, IT'S OUR ALGEBRA ONE EOC THEN ARE THEY READY FOR AN EQUIPPED AND HAVE THE SKILLS THEY NEED TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE ALGEBRA ONE EOC? SO THAT'S THE THAT'S THE IMPORTANT METRIC THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT IN TERMS OF THE SUCCESS.

THE [INAUDIBLE] NUMBER FOR SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE JUST DOES NOT MATCH APPLES TO APPLES.

SO WE DO HAVE TO USE MAP.

AND THEN ULTIMATELY WHEN THEY TAKE THE ALGEBRA ONE EOC TO SEE HOW ARE WE DOING IN GETTING THEM READY FOR IT.

AND THANK YOU. AND THIS IS ALSO ONE MORE AREA WHERE LOOKING AT INDIVIDUAL STUDENT PERFORMANCE IS IMPORTANT.

SO THE CURRENT EIGHTH GRADE TEACHERS SEE HOW THE STUDENTS IN SEVENTH GRADE DID LAST YEAR ON THE EIGHTH GRADE CURRICULUM AS THEY'RE GETTING

[01:10:07]

SO AND BECAUSE THE STANDARDS ARE VERTICALLY ALIGNED, THAT INFORMATION AT THE STUDENT LEVEL BECOMES EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR MONITORING.

WE SEE SIMILAR PATTERN HERE.

ONCE AGAIN, BROKEN OUT, FIFTH GRADE EIGHTH GRADE SCIENCE AND THEN EIGHTH GRADE SOCIAL STUDIES JUST THAT CONTINUED GROWTH IN THESE AREAS AS WELL AS OUR EOCS, YOU KNOW, HERE WE ARE CONTINUING TO MAKE PROGRESS YEAR OVER YEAR FROM 2022 TO 2023 AS WELL AS WE'RE, YOU KNOW, STARTING GAINS TOWARDS THE STATE AT SOME OF THOSE LEVELS.

ALL RIGHT. WHEN WE LOOK AT AND I KNOW THESE ARE NUMBERS ARE A LITTLE SMALL, I APOLOGIZE.

I WAS TRYING TO FIT IT ALL IN ONE EASY VIEW FOR YOU.

BUT WHAT WE HAVE HERE ARE THE THIRD GRADE.

THIS FIRST SLIDE IS THE THIRD GRADE READING GOALS THAT WE HAD SET.

YOU ALL HAD SET AND ADOPTED FOR STUDENTS ON WHERE WE NEED TO BE OUR YEARLY TARGETS FROM 2023 TO 2027, AS WELL AS THOSE TARGETS THEN BROKEN OUT BY ETHNICITIES AS WELL AS BY PROGRAM.

AND SO HERE WE HAD SET AN OVERALL TARGET FOR ALL STUDENTS IN 2023 THAT WE WOULD BE AT 51% OF STUDENTS AT THE MEETS GRADE LEVEL AND ABOVE.

AND OUR THIRD GRADE NUMBER CAME IN AT 52%.

SO WE DEFINITELY HIT THE TARGET AND ON AND WOULD STILL THEN BE ON TRACK TO MEET THE TARGET IN 2024.

WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR DIFFERENT OUR DIFFERENT GROUPS, WE SEE THAT WE HIT IN IN NEARLY ALL OF THE ETHNIC GROUPS THAT COULD BE MEASURED BECAUSE WE HAD ENOUGH ENOUGH DATA POINTS IN THIRD GRADE AS WELL AS THE YEARLY TARGET GOALS BY PROGRAM.

THE ONLY ONE NOT BEING ECONOMIC DISADVANTAGE, BUT THE ONES THAT ARE FORMER SPECIAL EDUCATION CONTINUOUSLY ENROLLED AND NON CONTINUOUSLY ENROLLED. THOSE TYPICALLY ARE DELAYED UNTIL ACCOUNTABILITY RATINGS COME OUT.

AND SO IN A NORMAL YEAR, I WOULD HAVE THOSE FOR YOU RIGHT NOW AS WELL.

BUT WE LOOK AT THE INFORMATION AS TEA SETTLES UP BECAUSE THAT'S ALL BASED ON PEIMS REPORTING ON IF THEY ARE CONTINUOUSLY ENROLLED OR NOT OR EVEN YEARS OF FORMER SPECIAL EDUCATION.

A SIMILAR STORY HERE FOR OUR THIRD GRADE MATH GOALS.

OUR ALL STUDENTS GOAL THAT WE AIMED FOR WAS A 45%, WITH NEXT YEAR'S GOAL BEING A 48% AT THE MEETS LEVEL AND ABOVE.

AND WE HIT THAT TARGET FOR ALL STUDENTS AT A 47.

AND WE WE DEFINITELY EXCEEDED THAT ONE AS WELL AS EXCEEDING THE TARGETS FOR ALL OF OUR ETHNICITIES HERE.

AND WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR GOALS BY PROGRAM, SPECIAL EDUCATION WAS CLOSE A COUPLE OF POINTS BELOW WHERE WE WANTED THEM TO BE, AS WELL AS OUR ECONOMIC DISADVANTAGE NOT BEING WHERE WE WANT IT TO BE.

BUT THOSE BOTH OF THOSE AREAS STILL MADE PROGRESS OVER THE PRIOR YEAR.

AND SO WHILE WE DIDN'T HIT THE TARGET THIS YEAR, WE ARE AT LEAST MOVING TOWARDS THE TARGET INSTEAD OF MOVING AWAY.

I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, MR. CORTEZ, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE SET GOALS FOR EACH OF THESE IDENTIFIED GROUPS, BECAUSE COLLECTIVELY, IF WE'RE GOING TO HIT THE OVERARCHING DISTRICT GOAL, WE NEED TO SEE GROWTH FROM EVERY NOT ONLY EVERY SUBGROUP, BUT WE WANT GROWTH FROM EVERY SINGLE STUDENT.

THAT'S CORRECT. AND SO THIS IS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE BENCHMARK AND DEMONSTRATE THAT TO OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.

YES. QUESTION, OR DO WE WAIT TILL THE END? SO NEXT STEPS HERE.

THE RESPONSES TO STAAR SCORES.

THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT ARE THAT ARE HAPPENING OVERALL WITH OUR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT AND DIFFERENT ACTIONS BEING TAKEN. I'LL READ AND SUMMARIZE AND DR.

LEEPER CAN GO INTO TO THE DETAILS.

SO WE'LL KIND OF BANTER BACK AND FORTH HERE.

SO THE FIRST PART WAS, YOU KNOW, STARTING BACK IN THE SUMMER WITH THE DATA WE DID HAVE AND DOING A CURRICULUM OVERVIEW, LOOKING AT KIND OF WHERE WE

[01:15:01]

KNOWING NOW THAT KIND OF WHAT SOME OF THE ITEM TYPES MIGHT LOOK LIKE, MAKING CHANGES THERE, HOW CAN WE PREPARE STUDENTS? THAT'S AN ONGOING PROCESS WHERE, YOU KNOW, TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL FEEDBACK IS ALSO BEING SOUGHT OUT.

I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

I JUST HAVE TO PUT THIS OUT THERE.

EVEN TODAY, WE WERE ON A CALL WITH TSA IN WHICH THEY HAD EXPERTS AROUND THE ASSESSMENT AND THE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM AND AGAIN, EVEN TRYING TO MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS IN CURRICULUM.

MS. ORTIZ AND DR.

BYNO CAN TELL YOU WE ARE USED TO GETTING WHAT WE WOULD CALL LIKE AN ITEM ANALYSIS REPORT WHERE I WOULD HAVE I COULD SEE THE QUESTION, THE TEACHER COULD SEE THE QUESTION, WE COULD SEE HOW MANY STUDENTS IN OUR DISTRICT ANSWERED EACH ITEM CHOICE, HOW MANY ANSWERED IT IN THE STATE? BECAUSE THAT ALLOWS US TO IDENTIFY, NOT THAT WE WANT TO TEACH TO THAT ITEM BECAUSE NEXT YEAR WE KNOW IT COULD BE TESTED DIFFERENTLY, BUT IT ALLOWS US TO KNOW AND GET INSIDE THE HEADS OF OUR STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND.

WAS THERE A MISCONCEPTION, WAS THERE A WAS IT A TESTING STRATEGY? AND THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE OUR STUDENTS WITH A DIFFERENT TESTING STRATEGY? DO WE NEED TO HAVE THEM PRACTICE? BECAUSE THE CONSTRUCT, THE WAY THAT THE ITEM WAS DESIGNED, STUDENTS JUST NEED MORE PRACTICE AT IT.

WELL, THIS YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT DATA.

SO AS A PARENT, I CAN SEE THAT ITEM ANALYSIS FOR MY CHILD.

BUT AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, WE CANNOT EXCEPT FOR A SAMPLE STUDENT THAT THE STATE HAS SET UP FOR FOURTH GRADE ONLY.

SO WHEN WE SAY WE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD NORMALLY DO CURRICULUM ADJUSTMENTS, WE WOULD PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN CERTAIN AREAS.

WE ARE HAVING TO DO IT BASED UPON THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US, WHICH CAME LATE AND IS VERY SUPERFICIAL.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE WE HAVE BEEN DIGGING INTO THE EXTENDED CONSTRUCTED RESPONSES.

IN THIRD GRADE FOR TEN POSSIBLE POINTS.

THE STATE AVERAGE, I BELIEVE, WAS LIKE A 1.92.

SO OUR OUR THIRD GRADERS ON AVERAGE OUT OF TEN POINTS POSSIBLE EARNED ALMOST TWO POINTS OF THOSE TEN POINTS.

SO WE ARE TRYING TO EVALUATE AND DIG, AND THAT WAS ACROSS THE WHOLE STATE, NOT IN RICHARDSON.

THAT WAS THE WHOLE STATE.

THE WHOLE STATE.

THE WHOLE STATE.

AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO DIG IN TO UNDERSTAND WAS IT THAT OUR STUDENTS YOU KNOW, IF I'M A THIRD GRADER, I'M READING.

REMEMBER, THEY HAD TO READ A PASSAGE, THEN THEY WERE ASKED TO RESPOND.

SO THEN THEY HAVE TO WRITE THAT EXTENDED ESSAY RESPONSE, AND THEN THEY HAD TO THEN TRANSLATE AND TYPE IT.

SO HAVING THE ENDURANCE AND THE STAMINA TO READ AN ARTICLE, THE THIRD GRADERS WRITE ABOUT THAT ARTICLE.

AND I BELIEVE THAT TOPIC WAS AQUIFERS, CORRECT? IT WAS AQUIFERS.

IT WAS. SO THEY HAD TO READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT AQUIFERS.

THEN THEY HAD TO WRITE A PAPER OR AN EXTENDED CONSTRUCTIVE RESPONSE ABOUT AQUIFERS, AND THEN THEY HAD TO TYPE IT INTO THE SYSTEM.

AND ACROSS THE STATE THE AVERAGE SCORE WAS ALMOST A TWO.

I THINK I BELIEVE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE EOC, THE AVERAGE SCORE DID NOT GET ABOVE A FIVE OUT OF TEN POINTS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WHOLE STATE.

SO AGAIN, WE ARE NOW TAKING THIS SUPERFICIAL LEVEL INFORMATION WE'RE GETTING AND WE'RE TRYING TO DISCERN FROM THAT.

SO LIKE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE LEARNED IS WE'VE GOT TO HELP OUR KIDS WITH IT'S NOT JUST READ THEN WRITE, BUT IT'S READ, WRITE AND THEN TYPE.

THEY'VE GOT TO READ IT. THEY GOT TO WRITE IT, AND THEN WE GOT TO HAVE THEM TYPE IT.

AND WE HAVE TO DO THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

SO THEY HAVE FLUENCY AND AUTOMATICITY WITH THOSE SKILLS.

SO I JUST USE THAT AS SOME ILLUSTRATION OF WHY THE NORMAL CURRICULUM, REFINEMENT AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT WE WOULD PROVIDE.

IT'S BEEN A LOT HARDER TO RESPOND QUICKLY AND TO PIVOT QUICKLY BECAUSE OF THE INFORMATION.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF TEACHING AND LEARNING.

YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT? WELL, I WOULD JUST CONTINUE.

WE WERE ON A CALL AND I ON THE TEAM AND WE'VE BEEN OUT ON CAMPUSES ALL THIS WEEK AS WELL.

BUT AND WITH LEAD FORWARD THIS WEEK BECAUSE THEY ARE ALSO TRYING TO THEY'RE ONE OF OUR LEADERS AND PARTNERS IN THE STATE THAT HELPS US TO AGGREGATE THE DATA AS WELL.

AND THERE ARE ALMOST 300 DISTRICTS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS ON THE CALL, JUST KIND OF REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE EXTENDED EXTENDED RESPONSE.

AND LIKE MRS BRANUM SAID IN PARTICULAR, MS. ORTIZ AND I LOOKED AT OUR NUMBERS IN PARTICULAR, AND WE'RE STILL DISAGGREGATING THAT DATA, AS MS. BRANUM SAID. BUT OVERALL, WE'RE SEEING IF YOU LOOK AT THE AT THE TEST FOR THE MOST PART, PARTICULARLY IN OUR LOWER GRADES, WHEN WE ADDED THAT ECR IN OUR SCORES DROPPED TEN POINTS.

AND SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO HONE IN.

AND I KNOW DR. [INAUDIBLE] DIRECTOR, SHE'S BEEN AND THAT'S ACROSS THE STATE, TOO.

THAT'S NOT JUST US. WHEN YOU SEE A THIRD GRADE THAT COUNTS TEN POINTS AND THE AVERAGE WAS 2.53 ACROSS THE STATE.

SO EVERY THIRD GRADER WHO'S EIGHT YEARS OLD WHO ANSWERED THAT EXTENDED RESPONSE, GOT LESS THAN THREE POINTS OUT OF TEN ACROSS THE STATE.

[01:20:02]

THAT'S WHY SO MANY PEOPLE ARE ON THE CALLS NOW TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON THERE AND REALLY JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE EQUIPPING OUR KIDS AND OUR TEACHERS AND OUR ADMINISTRATORS TO BE READY AND MORE PREPARED NEXT YEAR.

AND SO JUST LIKE JACOB SAID, I'LL KEEP RUNNING WITH THIS SLIDE.

WE DID A BIG CURRICULUM OVERVIEW THIS SUMMER, BUT THAT WILL CONTINUE AS WE LEARN MORE, AS WE DIVE DEEPER INTO OUR ITEM ANALYSIS AND AS WE GET TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL FEEDBACK FROM THE CURRICULUM THAT WE DID THIS YEAR, BECAUSE THAT WAS BASED ON MAP SCORES FROM LAST YEAR, BASED ON DATA FROM OUR TEACHERS, BASED ON WHAT OUR CURRICULUM DIRECTORS SEE WHEN THEY GO OUT, KNOWING THAT WE NEEDED TO REVAMP THAT EVERY YEAR ANYWAY BASED ON THAT FEEDBACK.

AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

WE HAVE NEW CURRICULUM PLANNING THAT'S HAPPENING THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING IN SEVERAL OF OUR CAMPUSES THIS YEAR, PARTICULARLY OUR CAMPUSES THAT HAVE OUR HIGHEST ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED CAMPUSES.

WE REALLY WANT TO ENSURE THAT ON A DAILY BASIS, WHERE OUR CAMPUSES HAVE THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED, THAT WE ARE IMPLEMENTING A CURRICULUM THAT IS MORE TIGHTER, IT'S MORE SCRIPTED LESSON, IT'S MORE TO FIDELITY TO REALLY ENSURE THAT EVERY KID, EVERY DAY IS HAVING ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTION AT THE RIGOR OF THE TEK ON A DAILY BASIS.

AND THAT CURRICULUM CONTINUES TO PUSH THE KIDS AND PUSH THE TEACHERS TO ENSURE THAT ON A DAILY BASIS.

SO THAT'S WHERE WE'VE IMPLEMENTED EUREKA MATH, AMPLIFY [INAUDIBLE] AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL.

WE HAVE NINE ELEMENTARIES WHO ARE IMPLEMENTING THAT TOO TOO ARE DOING AMPLIFY THURGOOD MARSHALL AS WELL AS THE ACADEMY ON THAT.

AND THEN IN SECONDARY IN OUR ENGLISH ONE AND TWO CLASSES THAT IS MORE AGAIN OF A CURRICULUM THAT IS JUST A LITTLE TIGHTER.

IT HAS A LITTLE MORE RIGOR AND IT'S REALLY ON A DAILY BASIS THAT PRINCIPALS CAN GO IN, TEACHERS CAN GO IN AND IT'S THERE FOR THEM AND EASIER TO SUPPORT THEM IN.

I JUST WANT TO ADD TWO PIECES TO THIS RIGHT HERE.

ONE IS THAT WE PILOTED THIS YEAR AT OUR CAMPUSES WHERE WE SEE THE MOST MOBILITY BETWEEN STUDENTS, WHERE STUDENTS ARE, THEY MIGHT BE MOVING BETWEEN BUILDINGS.

WE SEE THEM. THEY MOVE FROM ONE APARTMENT COMPLEX POTENTIALLY TO ANOTHER COMPLEX.

AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S CONSISTENCY IN THE CURRICULUM AND THAT THEY'RE ACCESSING THAT.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR ME AND I HAVE GONE THROUGH THE TRAINING MODULES MYSELF FOR THESE PROGRAMS. AND WHAT THIS WHAT THIS STRUCTURED AND I REALLY CONSIDER IT A VERY STRUCTURED CURRICULUM AND RESOURCE FOR OUR TEACHERS IS IT ALLOWS IT ENSURES THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE HAVING ACCESS TO GRADE LEVEL MATERIAL.

WE KNOW OUR STUDENTS MAY HAVE SKILL GAPS, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCESS TO GRADE LEVEL MATERIAL.

AND SOMETIMES WE ASK A LOT OF OUR TEACHERS, WE ASK THEM TO DO A LOT.

AND SO IF I HAVE A GROUP OF STUDENTS AND I HAVE IDENTIFIED THAT THEY HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT SKILL GAPS IN DIFFERENT AREAS.

I TEND TO FOCUS ON THAT AND SOMETIMES I AM NOT PROVIDING THEM THE AMOUNT OF TIME AT THAT GRADE LEVEL MATERIAL THAT THEY NEED.

AND THAT'S WHY YOU CAN NEVER CLOSE THAT GAP, BECAUSE YOU'RE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON FILLING IN THE GAPS AND YOU'RE NOT FOCUSED ON WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.

AND SO WHAT THIS CURRICULUM ALLOWS OUR TEACHERS TO DO IS FOCUS ON THE GRADE LEVEL MATERIAL.

AND THEN ONCE THEY GET THROUGH THAT GRADE LEVEL MATERIAL, THEN IT ALLOWS FOR SOME SMALL GROUP TIME TO THEN DO THE FILLING IN THE GAPS IN ORDER FOR THEM TO COMPLETE WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY WERE NEEDING TO FOR MASTERY.

SO THIS IF YOU REMEMBER, THIS IS PART OF THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE THE STATE, THIS IS ONE OF WHAT THEY ARE CONSIDERING, A HIGHLY QUALIFIED, HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL.

SO AS A DISTRICT, WHEN WE USE OUR INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ALLOTMENT, NOT ONLY CAN WE USE OUR AMA FUNDS FOR IT, BUT WE GET ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FROM THE STATE FOR THE PURCHASE OF THESE MATERIALS BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY EXPENSIVE BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY GUIDED FOR TEACHERS AND VERY HANDS ON WITH A LOT OF MANIPULATIVES FOR STUDENTS.

SO WE WILL BE ALDINE ISD, FOR EXAMPLE, IS IN THEIR THIRD YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION AND WE HAVE BEEN TRACKING THEIR DATA AND SEEING THEIR GROWTH.

DISD IS IMPLEMENTING THIS IN ABOUT 90% OF THEIR SCHOOLS, AND IF YOU'VE HEARD THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM TALK ABOUT WE'RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE TEST, WE'RE LETTING OUR TEACHERS TEACH, IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH CONFIDENCE IN THESE MATERIALS THAT IF OUR TEACHERS FOLLOW THIS PLAN, THE TEST WILL TAKE CARE OF IT, TAKE CARE OF ITSELF.

SO WE FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT THIS IMPLEMENTATION.

MRS BRANUM. IF I COULD PIGGYBACK OFF OF THAT, I REALLY WANT TO GIVE KUDOS TO DR.

LEEPER AND HER CREW.

THE DIRECTORS HAVE BEEN REALLY ACTIVE ON THESE CAMPUSES WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE NEW CURRICULUM ITEMS, AND WE SEE THAT ACROSS ALL OF THE CAMPUSES.

THE FEEDBACK WE'RE GETTING FROM THE PRINCIPALS AND THE TEACHERS IS THAT BECAUSE OF THAT SUPPORT, THEY'RE BETTER ABLE TO NAVIGATE THESE NEW ITEMS THAT WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CHALLENGING FOR THEM TO LEARN AND TO INTEGRATE FLUIDLY WITH THEIR CLASSES.

[01:25:02]

LEEPER AND HER CREW FOR FOR BEING BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND HELPING OUR TEACHERS.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND I DO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO A LOT OF OUR TEAM IS HERE.

THEY WORK SO HARD FOR OUR KIDS AND OUR TEACHERS.

AND I LIKE WHAT WE'RE SAYING THERE, TOO [INAUDIBLE] TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT WITH THE WITH THE GRANT THAT WE GET WITH OUR [INAUDIBLE] FUNDS FOR THESE PARTICULAR PROGRAMS, IT'S A BIG PARTNERSHIP WITH REGION TEN.

THEY COME IN AND HELP US DO OUR WALKS.

WE HAVE A CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WITH [INAUDIBLE] WHO COMES AND DO OUR WALKS, WHO OF COURSE IS HELPING LEADING THE RESEARCH ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP.

SO THEY'RE THEY'RE WALKING KNEE TO KNEE WITH US, ARM AND ARM WITH US AS WE'RE WALKING THESE BUILDINGS TO REALLY COME IN AND PROVIDE MORE SUPPORT AT EVERY LEVEL THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN FOR THOSE PARTICULAR CAMPUSES.

I'D ALSO ADD, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR ALSO IS A HUGE NEW MULTILINGUAL PROGRAM.

WE HAVE MRS. RANGEL HERE WHO'S HIT THE GROUND RUNNING, THAT'S FOR SURE.

AND A WHOLE DIFFERENT ESL MODEL AND HOW WE LOOK TO SUPPORT OUR ESL LEARNERS AND EMERGING BILINGUAL STUDENTS HERE IN RICHARDSON TO ENSURE THEIR SUCCESS.

OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR DOORWAY TO LANGUAGE PROGRAM THAT'S STARTING IN SCHOOLS AS WELL AS OUR 13 CAMPUSES AT THE ONE WAY DUAL LANGUAGE THAT WE ALSO STILL ARE REALLY SUPPORTING AND ENSURING THAT THEY ARE RECEIVING THE SUPPORTS THAT THEY NEED AS WELL.

I KNOW MS. RANGEL HAS MONTHLY PRINCIPAL MEETINGS WITH THEM.

SHE HAS WEEKLY PLCS AT STOLTZ.

SHE IS BOOTS ON THE GROUND.

SO SHE WILL BE THERE EVERY WEEK IN THOSE PLCS TO SUPPORT THE TRANSITION OF THESE TWO WAY AND THEN THE ONE WAY PROGRAMS AS WELL.

AND THEN FINALLY, JUST A CONTINUED FOCUS, AS JACOB CONTINUED TO SAY, ON GROWTH, IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT ALL KIDS ARE GROWING.

TEACHERS LEADERS WERE GROWING ON A DAILY BASIS, AND THAT GROWTH IS STILL GROUNDED IN THE LEARNING FRAMEWORK, THE GRADUATE PROFILE.

AND YOU'LL SEE THAT ALSO THROUGH OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN.

AND THEN OF COURSE, AS MR. [INAUDIBLE] HELP LEAD THE CAMPUSES THROUGH THEIR CAMPUS IMPROVEMENT PLANS ON A DAILY BASIS AS WELL.

AND JUST ALSO THROUGH THE PB THAT WE DO AND THE PLCS THAT WE'RE IN REALLY JUST ENCOURAGING, JUST ENSURING THAT WE'RE THERE KNEE TO KNEE WITH THE TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS AS THEY ARE THE ONES IN THE TRENCHES ON A DAILY BASIS REALLY SUPPORTING OUR KIDDOS.

SO WHAT AGAIN, WHAT I HOPE YOU HEAR US SAY IS WE WE HAD A DISRUPTIVE CHANGE.

IT COMPLETELY CHANGED THE MODEL OF THE ASSESSMENT.

THEY CHANGED THE WAY THAT THEY SCORED, THE WAY THAT THEY SCALED THE ASSESSMENT.

THEY ARE CHANGING THE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM ON THE HEELS OF THREE YEARS OF DISRUPTION.

DESPITE THAT, OUR TEACHERS HAVE STAYED FOCUSED AND WE HAVE SEEN GROWTH.

ARE WE WHERE WE WANT TO BE? NO. WE ARE VERY PROUD THAT WE HIT AND MET OR EXCEEDED MOST OF THE GROWTH GOALS THAT YOU SET FORWARD FOR US.

BUT WE KNOW THERE IS STILL AN ACHIEVEMENT GAP.

WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A GAP BETWEEN OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AND NON ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AND THAT WE ARE NOT CLOSING THAT AT THE SPEED THAT WE NEED TO. AND SO WE HAVE TWO MAJOR RESPONSES TO THAT IN TERMS OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AT OUR CAMPUSES WITH THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION IN PROVIDING MORE STRUCTURED SUPPORTS AND RESOURCES FOR OUR STAFF TO IMPLEMENT IN ORDER TO CLOSE THAT GAP AND THEN CHANGING OUR SUPPORT MODEL FOR OUR BILINGUAL STUDENTS AND OUR ESL STUDENTS SO THAT AGAIN, WE CAN ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO GRADE LEVEL MATERIAL BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET THEM TO PASS THE ASSESSMENT, WE CAN'T GET THEM TO WHERE WE WANT TO BE IN THEIR GROWTH IF THEY ARE NOT HAVING ACCESS TO THAT GRADE LEVEL.

AND THEN IT REALLY ULTIMATELY COMES DOWN TO STUDENT BY STUDENT.

IT'S EVERY TEACHER BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT THE STUDENTS THAT THEY SERVE, IDENTIFYING THEIR NEEDS, SETTING THOSE GROWTH GOALS WITH THEIR STUDENTS AND PROVIDING THE HIGHEST QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION EVERY SINGLE DAY.

AND OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING TEAM, OUR AREA SUPERINTENDENTS, MR. [INAUDIBLE] OUR CABINET TEAM, WE ARE OUT IN THE BUILDINGS ENSURING THAT WE ARE REMOVING BARRIERS AND WE'RE PROVIDING THE RESOURCES OUR TEACHERS NEED TO GET THAT DONE IN OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN, IN OUR CAMPUS IMPROVEMENT PLANS, YOU WILL SEE HOW OUR INDIVIDUAL CAMPUSES ARE RESPONDING.

SO AGAIN, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT YOU HAVE A CAMPUS THAT MAY HAVE 70% OF THEIR STUDENTS ARE AT THAT MEETS AND MASTER'S LEVEL AND HOW THEY'RE RESPONDING AND THE NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE MIGHT BE DIFFERENT THAN A CAMPUS WHO HAS 50% OF THEIR STUDENTS JUST AT THE APPROACHES LEVEL.

AND SO WE ARE A DISTRICT BECAUSE OF OUR INCREDIBLE AND BEAUTIFUL DIVERSITY.

WE DO NOT HAVE A ONE SIZE FITS ALL.

AND THAT IS SOMETIMES A WOULD BE SOMETIMES A REALLY EASY THING.

IF WE HAD ONE DEMOGRAPHIC AND WE HAD ONE SOLUTION AND WE HAD ONE STRATEGY THAT WE COULD BRING FORWARD AND SAY, THIS IS IT, THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE TO DO, BUT THAT THAT THAT IS NOT WHO WE ARE AND THAT IS NOT THE CULTURE THAT WE HAVE BUILT OR THAT WE CAN SURVIVE ON BECAUSE OUR CAMPUSES ARE SO UNIQUELY DIFFERENT.

[01:30:07]

SO WITH THAT, WE ARE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD MAY HAVE.

MR. POTEET. I THINK YOU HAD A QUESTION.

STILL COLLECTING MY THOUGHTS, BUT WE'LL FIRE FROM THE HIP.

NO, I APPRECIATE THE UPDATE.

I LIKE THAT WE'RE IDENTIFYING AND KEEPING TIED TO THE BOARD GOALS AND THE INTERMEDIATE GOALS.

THE ANNUAL GOALS. I THINK THAT'S GOOD TO KEEP THAT IN FRONT OF US, KEEP IT IN FRONT OF THE PUBLIC SO THAT WE CAN KIND OF TRACK INTERMEDIATE STEPS ON THE WAY TO FIVE YEAR GOALS.

SO I LIKE THAT.

I LIKE HOW WE'VE BROKEN IT OUT AS WELL AND TRACKED IT DOWN BY DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS AND BY PROGRAMS AS WELL.

THAT TIES WELL WITH THE DATA THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM THE TESTING AND THE METRICS.

SO AS I GO THROUGH THIS, I AM IMPRESSED.

I GUESS LET ME BACK UP.

YES. GROWTH.

GROWTH IS OUR FOCUS.

I LOVE THAT WE'RE REALLY COMMITTED TO THIS GROWTH AND IT'S MORE OF A LONG GAME BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN AND WHAT WE'VE COMMITTED TO ARE PUTTING IN PLACE THE SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES AND PEOPLE AND CURRICULUM, THOSE THINGS THAT WILL OVER TIME PROVIDE US WITH THE OUTCOMES AND THE GROWTH THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR FROM OUR STUDENTS.

WE HAVE TO REMIND OURSELVES ALL THE TIME, THIS IS A LONG GAME AND IT'S HARD TO TELL A PARENT WHOSE CHILD IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THIRD GRADE RIGHT NOW AND STRUGGLING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON A LONG GAME.

SO SO WE'VE GOT TO GET OUR HEADS AROUND THAT.

AND HOW DO WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION FOR THE 36-37,000 KIDS, BUT ALSO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT ONE CHILD AND THAT ONE CLASS AND THAT ONE PARENT.

SO I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER, BUT I'M SURE YOU ALL DO.

THAT'S A STRUGGLE THAT WE'LL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT AS WE GO.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND.

I ALSO LOOK AT AS WE BUILD THESE SYSTEMS, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT I'M LOOKING AT AND I KIND OF MENTIONED THEM, BUT THE CURRICULUM IS IMPORTANT AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING ON FINDING THE RIGHT ONES THAT ARE PROVIDING THE RIGHT SUPPORT AND ACCESS FOR OUR STUDENTS.

YOU KNOW, I THINK A TEACHERS IS ANOTHER INGREDIENT IN THIS.

AND I LOOK AT THIS YEAR, I THINK OUR DATA WAS THAT WE STARTED THE YEAR WITH ROUGHLY 17 OPEN POSITIONS, LESS THAN 12, AND LAST YEAR I THINK IT WAS 100 AND SOMETHING.

SO THE LOWER TURNOVER WE HAVE, THE MORE WE KEEP TEACHERS, THE MORE WE ATTRACT TEACHERS.

THAT'S THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT INGREDIENT IN THIS PROCESS, IN THIS SYSTEM.

AND SO I THINK WE'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

WE NEED TO KEEP THAT MOMENTUM UP.

THE OTHER INGREDIENT THAT I ALWAYS BRING UP IS THE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S CRITICAL BECAUSE WITH THE CURRICULUM, WITH THE TEACHERS, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN ANCHOR TIED AROUND OUR ANKLE TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD.

SO I LIKE THAT. I KNOW THAT THAT'S ALSO A FOCUS THAT WE'VE GOT IN THE DISTRICT AND IN BUILDING THAT FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, ESPECIALLY WITH SOME OF THESE POPULATIONS AND DEMOGRAPHICS THAT WE HAVE THAT GAP, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO REALLY I THINK IF WE CAN CRACK THAT NUT OR IMPROVE ON THAT, THAT WILL REALLY CLOSE THAT GAP. THE TESTING, YOU KNOW, THE TESTING IS A TOOL.

AND, YOU KNOW, MR. CORTEZ AND HIS TEAM DO A GREAT JOB OF MANAGING THAT TOOL AND TRYING TO SQUEEZE OUT OF IT THE INFORMATION THAT WILL BE BENEFICIAL THAT WE CAN THEN ACT ON.

IT'S JUST I CAN TELL JUST IN THE BRIEFING HERE, EVEN IN MY MIND, IT'S HARD TO AS MUCH AS WE WANT TO AVOID THE TEACHING TO A TEST, YOU KEEP GETTING DRAGGED BACK INTO THE PRESSURE IS TO DRAG BACK INTO WELL THE TEST ISN'T READING WHAT WE WANT IT TO READ.

SO HOW DO WE ADJUST TO GET OUR RESULTS FROM THE TEST? AND SO IT'S ALWAYS THAT FIGHT, I THINK, INTERNALLY ON HOW DO WE NOT GET DRAGGED TOO FAR INTO IT.

AND IT'S NOT BINARY.

IT'S A BALANCE THERE ON HOW WE WORK THAT.

BUT I THINK IT'S IT'S CRITICAL.

AND I KNOW YOU GUYS DO A GOOD JOB OF KEEPING THAT KIND OF PERSPECTIVE AS WE GO THROUGH THIS, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT A JOB, DR.

LEEPER, YOU TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND RUN WITH IT.

AND SO WE HAVE TO BALANCE ALL THAT OUT.

SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT KIND OF STUCK WITH ME.

AND THEN FINALLY, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT WE DID HAVE SO MUCH CHANGE WITH THIS TEST AND HOW IT WAS ADMINISTERED THIS YEAR, I AM VERY OPTIMISTIC THAT WE CONTINUED OUR TRENDS.

I'M A BIG TRENDS GUY.

I LOVE LOOKING AT DATA AND LOOKING AT TRENDS.

I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED TO HAVE A HICCUP WHEN THERE'S A MAJOR SHIFT IN HOW A TEST IS PUT TOGETHER OR ADMINISTERED, AND THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

WE CONTINUED THAT TREND.

SO THAT'S A VERY GOOD SIGN.

[01:35:03]

I MEAN, A THIRD GRADERS HAVING TO WRITE AND THEN TYPE, DO WE TEACH THIRD GRADERS TO TYPE? AND THIS IS AN HONEST QUESTION. I'VE HAD TWO THIRD GRADERS DO NOW.

OKAY, GOOD. HE'S PACING RIGHT NOW HE'S ON.

HE HAS A KEYBOARDING SOFTWARE THAT HE'S LEARNING TO PRACTICE KEYBOARDING.

HE'S GOT HIS HOME ROW.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CLASSES I THINK I EVER TOOK WAS TYPING.

SO IT'LL PAY OFF EVENTUALLY, BUT ESPECIALLY HOPEFULLY IN THIS IN THIS REALM.

SO THOSE WERE MY POINTS.

I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT'S GOING INTO THIS.

I KNOW THAT WE'RE STILL DIGGING THROUGH.

THE DATA AND TRYING TO COME UP WITH WHERE WE GO FROM HERE.

BUT I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK SO WELL, SAID MR. POTEET. MS. MCGOWAN YES, I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK AS WELL.

AND IT'S A LOT.

YEAH, HATS OFF TO YOU GUYS.

SO I JUST WANTED TO ASK LOOKING AT THE ETHNICITY DIFFERENCES AND OUR OUR BOARD GOAL FOR THIRD GRADE READING, I'M SUPER PROUD OF THE GROWTH OF ALL OF OUR ETHNICITIES IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.

I MEAN, WE CAN SEE GROWTH ACROSS THE BOARD.

SO KUDOS.

GOOD JOB ON THAT.

THERE IS ONE SECTOR HERE, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN KIDDOS, THAT ARE AT 39% WHERE OUR GOAL IS LIKE 41%.

SO HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO THE STATE OVERALL FOR THIRD GRADE READERS? AFRICAN AMERICAN THIRD GRADE READERS.

MM.

AND IF IT'S NOT EXACT, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EXACT.

BUT ARE WE.

ARE WE ALONG THE SAME? ARE WE IN THE SAME ALIGNMENT WITH THE STATE NUMBERS? AS FAR AS THOSE KIDDOS GO.

OKAY. AND THEN I ALSO WANTED TO SAY, I MEAN, AGAIN, I AM SUPER PROUD OF THE GROWTH OF OUR KIDDOS IN OUR DISTRICT.

I MEAN, IT'S CLEAR FOR OUR THIRD GRADE READING THAT WE ARE GROWING KIDS.

THE OTHER PIECE TO THAT IS JUST LIKE MR. POTEET SAID, IT IS, IT IS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT.

WHAT WE DO WITH OUR KIDS AFTER SCHOOL IS IS PIVOTAL.

I HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO PUT MY KIDDOS AT MOSS HAVEN.

I HAVE 21 YEAR OLD KIDS AND THEY WENT THROUGH MOSS HAVEN AND THE PARENTAL SUPPORT AND THE INVOLVEMENT THERE WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND INVOLVEMENT WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITH MY FIVE YEAR OLD WHO'S AT STOLTZ ROAD, RIGHT.

AND SO THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THOSE ENVIRONMENTS.

AND I SIT OUTSIDE TODAY AND TALK TO A PARENT THAT I MET AT A GARAGE SALE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND HER KID, SHE'S A HISPANIC LADY AND HER KIDS GO TO STOLTZ AND BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME.

AND SHE'S ONE OF THOSE PARENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE'S JUST LIKE, I TRY TO GET INVOLVED AND I WANT TO BE INVOLVED.

SHE CALLS ME MISS RACHEL AND LIKE, PLEASE DON'T DO THAT BECAUSE I'M NOT THAT OLD.

BUT SHE'S LIKE, I TRY TO BE INVOLVED AND I WANT TO BE INVOLVED, BUT IT'S SO HARD.

DEMOGRAPHICALLY SHE FEELS SOME OF THE PRESSURE AND SHE'S IN A SCHOOL WITH PREDOMINANTLY WHITE AND HISPANIC KIDS.

RIGHT. AND SO I'M NEW HERE, RIGHT? LIKE, WE HAVEN'T BEEN AT THE SCHOOL IN A LONG TIME.

SO. AND THERE IS SOME CHALLENGES THERE, BUT I'M SUPER EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AGAIN.

I LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY. WE ARE NOW MY KIDDOS IN THE SCHOOL AND I'M EXCITED THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO HELP WITH SOME OF THIS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.

BUT AGAIN, LIKE MR. POTEET SAID, THAT IS A CRITICAL PIECE TO THIS AND I JUST WANT OUR PARENTS TO JUST BE ABLE TO JUMP IN AND EMBRACE THIS PIECE AND HAVE THE SUPPORT WITHIN THE SCHOOLS.

BUT OVERALL, I THINK THIS IS GREAT AND ESPECIALLY FOR OUR THIRD GRADE READING KIDS.

AND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THIRD GRADE, I APOLOGIZE.

IT TOOK ME A MINUTE TO GET MY COMPUTER BACK UP.

BUT THE STATE FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS IN READING AT THE MEETS LEVEL WAS 38% WHILE WE WERE AT 39.

IN MATHEMATICS, UM, AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS FOR THE STATE AT THE MEETS LEVEL WERE AT 28% WHILE WE WERE AT 31.

AND JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT MS. MCGOWAN HAS STATED, BECAUSE I TOO WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I GOT ON THE BOARD, JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE WHOLE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT GAP.

AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITY DOESN'T REALLY REALIZE IS THERE ARE SOME VERY SIMPLE STEPS THAT WE CAN DO TO ASSIST OUR STUDENTS.

JUST SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS READING AT NIGHT, HELPING WITH HOMEWORK, JUST THOSE TYPE OF THINGS WHEN YOU GET INVOLVED, MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.

AND SOMETIMES WE THINK THEY'RE TOO SMALL TO SEE A NIT, BUT THEY'RE NOT.

AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO START TO REALLY COMMUNICATE OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY, TO OUR FAMILIES, TO OUR PARENTS.

I LOVE THAT YOU JUST SAID THAT BECAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES WE HAVE AN ARTIFICIAL DEFINITION OF PARENT ENGAGEMENT AND WE THINK IT'S HOW MANY EVENTS DO YOU SHOW UP TO?

[01:40:01]

IT'S ABOUT YOU UNDERSTANDING WHERE YOUR CHILD IS, WHERE IT IS THAT THEY NEED TO GROW.

AND YOU AS A AS A PARENT, HOW CAN WE SUPPORT AND AGAIN, IT'S FOR EXAMPLE, WE PROVIDE EVERY THIRD GRADE FAMILY WITH FLASHCARDS FOR MULTIPLICATION FACTS.

IF OUR PARENTS DO NOTHING BUT WORK WITH OUR KIDS EVERY NIGHT ON THOSE MULTIPLICATION FACTS AND ENSURE THAT THEY'RE READING EVERY NIGHT, I PROMISE YOU ALONE WE WOULD SEE RESULTS THAT WOULD BLOW YOU AWAY.

HAVING AUTOMATICITY WITH THOSE THIRD GRADE MULTIPLICATION FACTS IS EVERYTHING.

IT IS A BUILDING BLOCK OF FOUNDATION TO EVERY OTHER MATH THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE AFTER THIRD GRADE.

AND SO AGAIN, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT YOU HAVE TO COME TO EVERY EVENT OR WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES AND EXPERIENCES AT HOME, BUT JUST SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS ENSURING THAT THEY JUST DO THAT LITTLE THING AND HOW CAN WE HELP SUPPORT AND EQUIP EVERY PARENT TO DO IT.

AND THAT'S THE OTHER GAP WE'RE TRYING TO FILL IN.

THANK YOU [INAUDIBLE] I MEAN, I APPRECIATE ALL THIS INFORMATION AND I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT WE DID GROW.

I KNOW THAT THIS TEST CHANGE IS DISRUPTIVE AND IT'S JUST SO EXCITING TO SEE THAT THERE WAS GROWTH.

WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING TO GROW EVERY SINGLE STUDENT IN OUR SCHOOLS.

AND TO PIGGYBACK ON THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, YOU'RE RIGHT.

WE HAVE TO HAVE OUR PARENTS AND IT ALL MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT FAMILIES.

AND OF COURSE, IT MEANS A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, LIKE SOME FAMILIES WHO DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH.

IT'S LIKE, HOW DO I HELP MY STUDENT DO HOMEWORK? YOU KNOW, I GREW UP SOMEWHAT IN A FAMILY LIKE THAT, RIGHT? AND, YOU KNOW, MY MOM MADE ME READ EVERY TV SHOW AND MOVIE THAT SHE WATCHED BECAUSE SHE DUBBED IT.

SO IF IT WAS IN SPANISH, I HAD ENGLISH VOCABULARY TO READ AND EXPLAIN.

AND IF IT WAS IN ENGLISH, I READ IN SPANISH.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF LITTLE TINY THINGS THAT PARENTS CAN DO WITHIN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE TO HELP THEIR STUDENT BECAUSE THAT NOT ONLY IMPROVES THEIR VOCABULARY, THEY WILL HAVE THE CURIOSITY TO FIND THE WORDS IN THE LANGUAGE THAT THEY'RE LEARNING AT SCHOOL, WHICH IS ENGLISH.

RIGHT. AND THAT'S JUST GOING TO GIVE THEM A WHOLE EXTRA STEP RIGHT OF LEARNING AND PRODUCE A BETTER SCORE ONCE THEY GET TESTED IN ANYTHING IN CLASS, NOT JUST THIS TEST, BUT ANYTHING THAT THEY DO.

SO I'M JUST EXCITED.

I DO REMEMBER THE FLASHCARD TIMES.

I KNOW IT'S TOUGH, GUYS.

I'M GOING TO TALK TO EVERY FAMILY MEMBER OUT THERE WITH A KID THAT HAS TO LEARN IT, WE'VE BEEN THERE.

BUT YEAH, FIVE, TEN MINUTES, YOU KNOW, GIVE THEM A TREAT, FIND THEIR FIND YOUR STUDENT'S CURRENCY AND, YOU KNOW, GIVE IT TO THEM AFTER THEY KNOW THOSE TABLES AND, YOU KNOW, AUTOMATICALLY IT'S SUCH A GREAT THING.

SO I APPRECIATE ALL THAT.

AND JUST TO I JUST NEED A LITTLE CLARIFICATION.

AND HERE'S MY QUESTION ON YOUR ON THE EXTENDED STRUCTURED RESPONSES.

I'M SORRY I'M STUCK ON THAT.

BUT WHEN YOU MEAN THE STUDENT READS THE THE STORY AND THEN THEY WRITE IT AND THEN THEY TYPE IT, WHAT ARE THEY WRITING IN? ARE THEY WRITING ON AN IPAD? ARE THEY WRITING ON A PIECE OF PAPER? LIKE, WHAT WERE THEY DOING? WELL, SO WE WHAT WE TRY TO MODEL FOR OUR STUDENTS IS THAT THEY THEY READ BECAUSE REMEMBER, IT'S 100% ONLINE.

SO THEY'RE READING THE ARTICLE ONLINE.

AND THEN WHEN THEY READ THE PROMPT, WE REALLY TRY TO TEACH THEM THE STRATEGIES THAT THEY ARE ALLOWED PAPER.

AND SO WE WANT THEM TO TO DRAFT, BASICALLY WRITE A ROUGH DRAFT ON THE PAPER.

AND THEN WE HOPE THAT THEY WILL BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, EDITING COUNTS, PUNCTUATION COUNTS, SPELLING, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE A PART OF THE RUBRIC.

SO WE WANT THEM TO ACTUALLY WRITE IT.

AND THEN FROM THERE THEY HAVE TO TYPE IT.

WELL, AGAIN, THAT'S A LOT OF STEPS AND THAT'S A LOT OF STAMINA WHEN YOU ARE EIGHT AND NINE YEARS OLD.

AND SO REALLY MAKING SURE AND I THINK I LOVED WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT FINDING A FINE LINE, BECAUSE WHAT I DON'T WANT PARENTS TO HEAR IS THAT WE ARE GOING TO DRILL AND KILL OUR KIDS IN ORDER TO PASS AND TO DO WELL ON A PARTICULAR ITEM OR A PARTICULAR ESSAY LIKE THAT'S.

BUT IT IS MAKING SURE THEY HAVE ENOUGH EXPERIENCES SO THAT WHEN THE TIME COMES, THEY HAVE THE SKILL SETS THEY CAN TO TO PERFORM VERY WELL.

AND SO I THINK TO YOUR POINT, THAT IS A NUANCE OF A BALANCE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIND.

HOW DO WE GIVE THEM ENOUGH PRACTICE? AND AGAIN, WE THEY ALL KIDS NEED A LOT OF PRACTICE AT WRITING TO TO TO REFINE THAT AND GET GREAT AT IT.

AND THEN HOW DO WE JUST ADD THAT KEYBOARDING ELEMENT TO IT, PROVIDING REALLY LOOKING AT EVERY, ASKING EVERY PRINCIPAL TO LOOK AT THEIR MASTER SCHEDULE TO ENSURE KIND OF KEYBOARDING HAS BEEN OUT OF OUR MINDS AND OUT OF OUR SYSTEM FOR A LONG TIME BECAUSE IT JUST WAS ASSUMED THAT KIDS NATURALLY DEVELOPED IT OVER TIME AND THEY DIDN'T REALLY NEED IT FORMALLY UNTIL THEY GOT TO SECONDARY CAMPUSES.

AND NOW WE'RE REALIZING, NOPE.

IT TOOK SOME OF OUR THIRD GRADE BABIES EIGHT HOURS, NINE HOURS TO COMPLETE THE ASSESSMENT.

[01:45:05]

SO. WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE.

AND, YOU KNOW, KUDOS TO ALL THOSE THIRD GRADERS WHO MADE IT THROUGH AND THOSE TEACHERS, BECAUSE I CAN'T IMAGINE DOING A TEST FOR EIGHT HOURS.

THAT'S THAT'S INCREDIBLY SAD FOR THEM AND US, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE TO ENDURE WATCHING A CHILD DO THAT.

BUT YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND LASTLY, BECAUSE IT CHECKS GRADING, GRAMMAR, SPELLING, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

DOES THE STAAR TEST SOMEHOW SEPARATE THE READING AND WRITING SCORE IN SOME WAY? OKAY. WELL, SO WE WHEN IT COMES TO THE ANALYSIS, WE DO KNOW WHICH QUESTIONS WERE IN RESPONSE TO READING AND WHICH ONES WERE RESPONSE TO WRITING AND EDITING.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M GETTING TO.

SO WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO WHAT WE CAN DO, WE DO CAN WE CAN LOOK AT GROUPS OF ITEMS TO KIND OF DETERMINE WHERE THE KID, WHAT AREA THE KIDS MIGHT HAVE DONE WELL IN OR MIGHT HAVE STRUGGLED.

BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE OVERALL SCORE AND THE OVERALL PASSING LEVEL, IT ALL GOES INTO THE SAME CALCULATION.

AND SO THAT EXTENDED CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE, YOU KNOW, IS TEN POINTS OUT OF THE YOU KNOW, OUT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF POINTS AS WELL BECAUSE OF HOW IT GETS RATED, THE SHORT CONSTRUCTED RESPONSES THAT ARE THERE GET GRADED ALSO.

SO ONCE AGAIN, DOING SOME EXTRA THINGS, WRITING SHORTER ANSWERS, MAYBE A SENTENCE OR TWO, YOU KNOW, RATHER THAN SEVERAL, YOU KNOW, SENTENCES AND PARAGRAPHS.

BUT WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, IT IS ALL ONE SCORE.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.

LASTLY, THANK YOU, DR.

LEEPER AND TEAM FOR THE CURRICULUMS [APPLAUSE].

YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL DO TO SUPPORT ALL OF OUR TEACHERS TO CONTINUE THIS GROWTH FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, TO FIND WAYS TO NOT JUST REACH THEM AND KEEP THEM ENGAGED, BUT TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE GROWING.

I JUST SO APPRECIATE THAT.

AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

THANKS. YEAH, IT'S GREAT.

AND JUST REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A TEAM EFFORT, COMMUNITY SCHOOL TEACHERS, STAFF, BOARD, EVERYONE NEEDS TO WORK TOGETHER, AND WE CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. A HUGE DIFFERENCE.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.

THANK YOU, MR. CORTEZ.

GREAT. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO.

OKAY. LET'S LET'S KEEP IT MOVING.

LET'S KEEP IT MOVING. THIS IS LIKE YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR THIS AGENDA ITEM.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S DO IT THEN.

SO OUR NEXT ITEM IS TO REVIEW BOARD POLICY FL PERTAINING TO STUDENT RECORDS.

[III.D. Review and Discussion of Board Policy FL (LOCAL)]

SO GOOD.

GOOD EVENING, TRUSTEES.

AND LET ME JUST START BY THANKING THE BOARD POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS, TRUSTEE POTEET, TRUSTEE RENTERIA AND TRUSTEE PACHECO. AS WE HAVE INDICATED BEFORE, AS WE'RE BRINGING THESE POLICIES FORWARD, OUR PRIMARY GOAL RIGHT NOW IS MAKING SURE WE ARE DOING A REVIEW AND CATCHING UP ON MAKING REVISIONS TO POLICIES THAT NEED UPDATES FROM PREVIOUS LEGISLATIVE CHANGES AND REGULATION CHANGES AS WELL.

THE POLICY WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT FIRST TONIGHT IS BOARD POLICY FL LOCAL, WHICH IS RELATED TO OUR STUDENT RECORDS.

AND AS AN OVERALL MATTER, THE CHANGES THAT YOU SEE HIGHLIGHTED IN RED ARE REALLY TO UPDATE CHANGES IN THE LAW AND TO HAVE THOSE REFLECTED IN THE POLICY TO CLEAN UP SOME LANGUAGE AND TO HOPEFULLY BRING SOME CLARITY ON SOME AREAS THAT WERE NEEDED. THERE'S A RECOMMENDED REVISION AT THE ACCESS BY SCHOOL OFFICIALS TO BE CLEAR THAT ANY PERSON WHO IS A MEMBER OF THE SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE SCHOOL PROGRAM IS GOING TO BE CONSIDERED A SCHOOL OFFICIAL WHO CAN ACCESS STUDENT RECORDS IF THEY HAVE A LEGITIMATE EDUCATIONAL INTEREST IN THE RECORDS.

AND THAT IS THE STANDARD FOR ANYBODY TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS RECORDS.

THERE DOES HAVE TO BE A LEGITIMATE EDUCATIONAL REASON FOR DOING SO.

THERE IS ALSO CLEAN UP LANGUAGE TO CLARIFY WHO IS THE CUSTODIAN OF RECORDS FOR VARIOUS DOCUMENTS AT THE CAMPUS LEVEL.

[01:50:10]

BUT FOR OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION RECORDS, THOSE THAT ARE ON THE CAMPUS, THE PRINCIPAL AGAIN IS GOING TO BE THE CUSTODIAN OF RECORD.

AND THOSE THAT ARE IN THE SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, THE SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO BE THE CUSTODIAN OF RECORDS.

SO JUST PROVIDING BETTER CLARITY AROUND THOSE ITEMS. AND WE HAVE LANGUAGE IN OUR POLICY RELATED TO MAKING SURE THAT IT'S CLEAR THAT RECORDS CAN'T BE REMOVED FROM THE CAMPUS EXCEPT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE RECORDS DESTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS, BUT ALSO THAT WE TALK ABOUT DIRECTORY INFORMATION BEING ABLE TO BE SHARED AND WE GIVE EXAMPLES OF WHAT DIRECTORY INFORMATION IS, BUT WE DID NOT ACTUALLY HAVE A DEFINITION GENERALLY OF WHAT DIRECTORY INFORMATION IS.

AND SO THAT HAS BEEN ADDED AND I WILL ASK THE TRUSTEES WHO ARE HERE WHO ARE ON THE POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE IF THEY HAVE ANYTHING THEY'D LIKE TO ADD.

I GUESS I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT FOR PUBLIC AS WELL THAT I DO APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS WE'VE GOT IN PLAYING CATCH UP HERE.

I KNOW THAT OUR LAST BIG CATCH UP WAS, I THINK, PRE-COVID, AND SO NOW WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS SINCE THEN THAT HAVE KIND OF LAID OUT SOME DIFFERENT CHANGES THAT HAVE TRICKLED THROUGH. AND WE'RE JUST NOW PLAYING AND WE'RE I THINK WE'RE IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF THE CATCH UP, IT SEEMS LIKE.

SO. SO I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT THAT'S GOING INTO THAT.

AND I KNOW YOU AND YOUR STAFF HAVE PUT A LOT OF TIME INTO INTO CLEANING THIS UP AND CLARIFYING A LOT OF IT.

SO ANYWAY, JUST KUDOS FOR THE EFFORT AND GLAD TO HELP.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO BOARD POLICY BBB.

[III.E. Review and Discussion of Board Policy BBB (LOCAL)]

AND SO, BRIAN, IF YOU'LL PULL UP THE THE RED LINE CHANGES BECAUSE I KNOW ANYONE WHO LOOKS AT THAT IS GOING TO THINK, OH, MY GOODNESS, WHAT ARE THEY DOING? REALLY WE'RE JUST CLEANING UP LANGUAGE AND ADDING CONTEXT TO THIS PARTICULAR POLICY.

THE REASON IF ANYONE DOESN'T KNOW WHO'S WATCHING US OR WHO HAS JOINED US TODAY, THE REASON OUR BOARD STRUCTURE IS HOW IT IS, IS BECAUSE OF A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT THAT WAS PART OF A COURT ORDER.

AND SO WE'VE PROVIDED THAT LANGUAGE IN THE POLICY TO PROVIDE CONTEXT.

BUT WE HAVE ALSO PROVIDED CLARIFICATION JUST AROUND THE FACT THAT WE ARE A COMBINATION OF A AT LARGE AND SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS AND PROVIDED UPDATED INFORMATION RELATED TO THOSE ELECTION SCHEDULES.

AND SO IT'S A LOT OF RED MARKS, BUT THAT'S ALL THE CHANGES ARE.

AND TRUSTEES ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? THANK YOU FOR CREATING THE CLARIFICATIONS ON THIS POLICY.

I APPRECIATE THAT TIME.

AND TRUSTEE HARRIS THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

ALL RIGHT. PERFECT. AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THIS TEAM.

THIS IS A LOT OF HARD WORK THAT HAS NOT BEEN DONE FOR QUITE SOME TIME THAT ABSOLUTELY NEEDED TO BE DONE.

SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR PROVIDING YOUR TIME ON THIS TEAM AND YOUR FEEDBACK.

SO THANK YOU MS. PACHECO AND MR. POTEET. OUR LAST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS AN INFORMATION ITEM TO PRESENT THE SUPERINTENDENT START OF SCHOOL

[III.F. Superintendent Start of School Update]

THIS IS VERY SHORT.

I WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE AT THE LAST MEETING KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF ALL THE WORK THAT WENT IN TO BE READY FOR AUGUST 14TH.

AND WE ARE NOW, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, NINE DAYS INTO THE 23-24 SCHOOL YEAR AND JUST EVERYTHING IS ROCKING AND ROLLING.

TEACHERS ARE TEACHING, PRINCIPALS ARE LEADING OUR AUXILIARY AND OUR PARAPROFESSIONAL STAFF ARE THRIVING AND JUST DOING ALL AND PUTTING ALL THE SUPPORTS IN OUR ENROLLMENT RIGHT NOW IS ABOVE THE DEMOGRAPHERS PROJECTIONS.

SO WE CELEBRATE THAT WE'RE AT 36.

OH, NO, KNOCK ON WOOD, KNOCK ON LAMINATE.

WE'RE AT 30 A LITTLE OVER 36,400 STUDENTS IN THE DEMOGRAPHER HAD PROJECTED AROUND 36,200.

SO AGAIN, WE APPRECIATE EVERY ONE OF THOSE ENROLLEES BECAUSE WE LOVE KIDS AND WE WANT TO BE A PART OF THEIR EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY.

[01:55:01]

THIS IS A REALLY DIFFICULT TIME.

WE HAVE AIR CONDITIONING.

AIR CONDITIONING UNITS ARE ALMOST RUNNING 24/7 JUST TO TRY TO KEEP UP AND MANAGE THE HEAT SO THAT WHEN OUR STUDENTS ARRIVE, IT'S IT'S A COMFORTABLE POSITION FOR OUR KIDS AND OUR STAFF.

AND THEY ARE RESPONDING TO EMERGENCY AFTER EMERGENCY AND JUST GETTING OUR SYSTEMS UP SO QUICKLY.

I WANT TO THANK OUR ATHLETIC AND OUR FINE ARTS STAFF WHO, IF YOU DO NOT KNOW THIS, THERE IS A PROTOCOL CALLED THE WET BULB CHECK.

AND OUR ATHLETICS AND OUR FINE ARTS DEPARTMENTS ARE IMPLEMENTING THE WET BULB CHECK BECAUSE IT TAKES IN A COMBINATION OF SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND THE AIR TEMPERATURE AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT IT'S SAFE FOR OUR STUDENTS TO ENGAGE IN THAT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.

AND THEY ARE MONITORING THAT CLOSELY.

WE ARE NOT TAKING CHANCES WITH THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF OUR STUDENTS.

I WANT TO THANK OUR OUR PARENTS WHO ARE YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING TO ADJUST FOR GAME TIMES AND WE'RE PUSHING GAMES LATER.

OUR SUBVARSITY GAMES ARE SOMETIMES SHORTER BECAUSE WE JUST ARE NOT GOING TO RISK THE HEALTH OF OUR KIDS.

SO I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE'VE HAD TO CONSIDER IN THE PAST.

AND SO THE WAY THAT THEY ARE DOING IT AND I THINK OUR STRATEGY AND ENGAGEMENT TEAM FOR COMMUNICATING, BUT IT'S BEEN A REALLY, REALLY, REALLY SUCCESSFUL START OF SCHOOL.

AND THE OVERWHELMING MESSAGE AS I WENT TO OUR CAMPUSES IN THE FIRST NINE DAYS OF SCHOOL HAS BEEN THIS HAS FELT LIKE A REALLY GOOD, NORMAL START OF SCHOOL.

AND IT'S LIKE WE PICKED UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF WHEN WE LEFT IN MAY.

AND FOR ME, THERE CANNOT BE A BETTER COMPLIMENT TO WHAT THE BOARD HAS SET FORWARD TO US.

WHAT AND THIS LEADERSHIP TEAM HAS DONE TO BE READY FOR AUGUST 14TH.

SO I JUST I THANK EVERYONE.

I REALLY DID THIS TO CELEBRATE OUR TEAM AND TO CELEBRATE EVERY ONE OF OUR PRINCIPALS AND OUR STAFF MEMBERS BECAUSE IT'S BEEN AN AWESOME START.

IT HAS BEEN AN AWESOME START.

AND I WILL SAY THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS BOARD HAS EVER EXPERIENCED A NORMAL START.

IT'S TRUE. IT IS REALLY TRUE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM.

SO NOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTIONS 551.071 OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, WE WILL NOW MOVE INTO

[IV. CLOSED MEETING]

SO NOW WE WILL GIVE A FEW MINUTES TO ALLOW AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY VISITORS STAFF WHO ARE NOT NECESSARY FOR THE CLOSED SESSION TO EXIT THE ROOM. ALL RIGHT.

I THINK WE ARE READY.

THE BOARD IS RETURNING TO OPEN SESSION AT 9:19 P.M..

[V. RECONVENE]

HAVING TAKEN NO ACTION IN CLOSED SESSION, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE HERE TONIGHT FOR STAYING A LITTLE BIT.

OUR VISITORS, MY COLLEAGUES FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING.

THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 9:19 P.M.

ON AUGUST 24TH, 2023.

THANK YOU, PRESIDENT.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.